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Social organizations denounce that the controversial plan would have a strong impact on biodiversity and water security in the area and have pointed out that “by giving work to 4,000 people, they are going to leave 8 million inhabitants without water.” The Government assures that the project is based on “a new way of doing mining” that “adapts to climate change.”
The Committee of Ministers of the Environment of the Gabriel Boric administration unanimously approved the Los Bronces Integrado mining project proposed by Anglo American Sur, one of the largest companies in this sector in the world.
The project involves a global investment of 3,500 million dollars and aims to expand the mine in the Metropolitan region, where the capital is located, and Valparaíso.
Precisely the extension to these regions has been criticized by environmental groups, who denounce that precisely in the last decade, Those sectors have suffered from the drought.
Opponents of the measure have widely criticized Gabriel Boric, who during his campaign spoke of environmental and biodiversity promises and has now given the go-ahead for the mine expansion.
In response to the criticism, the ministers stressed that this project is different and “adapts to climate change”, and promised “the replacement of wood heaters with electric ones in homes in the area, the paving of local roads in the surroundings, the vacuuming of streets, an air quality monitoring plan and monitoring of the evolution of vibrations and emissions from incidents in white glaciers”, for the reduction of environmental impact, as read in a joint statement.
And it is that this initiative managed to pass, after in May 2022 the Environmental Evaluation Service (SEA) had rejected it; Now, with its approval, it seeks to extend the useful life of the mine located in that region, at least until 2036.
“After studying the technical and legal background, the committee of ministers decided to approve the ‘Los Bronces Integrado’ project, with a series of demanding environmental conditions that will raise the standards in relation to protecting the health of the population derived from atmospheric emissions, in addition to measures that allow a rigorous follow-up and monitoring of the water resource, the protected species of flora and fauna close to the project and surrounding glaciers,” the Ministry of the Environment said in a statement.