Chile: Environmental regulator filed four charges against Los Bronces for noncompliance with environmental permit
Summary
Date Reported: 23 Dec 2024
Location: Chile
Companies
Los Bronces (JV between Anglo American (50.1%), Codelco - Mitsui (29.5%) and Mitsubishi Corp (20.4%)) - Parent CompanyProjects
Los BroncesAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Ecosystem: ( Number unknown - Chile - Sector unknown , Gender not reported )Issues
Clean, Healthy & Sustainable Environment , Violation of environmental safety standardsResponse
Response sought: No
Source type: Regulatory action
"Chile files environmental charges against Anglo American’s Los Bronces mine", 23 December 2024
"Chile’s environmental regulator has filed four charges against the major Los Bronces copper mine, controlled by Anglo American, for noncompliance with environmental permits, the agency said on Monday.
The charges could carry a fine of nearly 17 billion pesos ($17.17 million), according to the Superintendency of the Environment, or SMA....
Anglo American said in a statement that it was analyzing the accusations to determine its next steps.
One of the charges was deemed “very serious,” the highest of three offense levels, for noncompliance dating back to a 2014 sanction.
At the time, the SMA found that Anglo American Sur, the local unit that operates Los Bronces, failed to resolve acid drainage at the Esteriles Donoso tailings deposit, designed to hold mine waste.
“The company has not implemented a definitive solution … it constitutes a repetition of acts previously sanctioned,” the SMA said...."