(The Dec. 23 story corrects paragraph 3 to show that Los Bronces’ 2023 production was 215,500 metric tons, not 255,000 tons.)
Author: Fabian Cambero
SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Chile’s environmental regulator has filed four charges against major copper mine Los Bronces, controlled by Anglo American ( JO: ), for failing to comply with environmental permits, the agency said on Monday.
The charges could lead to a fine of nearly 17 billion pesos ($17.17 million), according to the Superintendency of the Environment, or SMA.
Los Bronces is one of Chile’s largest copper mines with production of 215,500 metric tons last year, as well as a key project for Anglo American, which has been targeted for a takeover by larger rival BHP.
Anglo American said in a statement that it is analyzing the allegations to determine next steps.
One of the charges was deemed “very serious”, the highest of three levels of offence, for non-compliance dating back to the 2014 sanction.
At the time, SMA discovered that Anglo American Sur, the local unit that manages Los Bronces, had failed to address acid drainage at the Esteriles Donoso tailings dump, designed to store mine waste.
“The company has not implemented the final solution… this constitutes a repetition of acts that were previously sanctioned,” the SMA said.
The tailings dump is currently not in use, Anglo American said, adding that it applied for an environmental permit in October to address the issue.
The regulator also submitted two applications in the medium “serious” category. One was against Anglo American for failing to design a system to mitigate the acidic waters collected downstream of the Esteriles field, and the other for failing to take measures to control leaks at the Las Tortolas tailings dam.
The miner said it was “working to optimize the hydraulic barrier approved by the regulator to improve leakage control.”
The SMA also found that Anglo American failed to report complete water and tailings data to the agency, an offense categorized as “minor”.
The miner has 15 days to present a mitigation program and 22 days to contest the allegations.
Earlier this month, SMA also filed three complaints against Anglo American for violations at the El Soldado copper mine in the Valparaiso region.
($1 = 989.9000 Chilean pesos)
