After a long evaluation process, on Tuesday, April 17th of 2023, the Committee of the Ministry of Environment, led by its Minister, Maisa Rojas, eventually approved the “Los Bronces Integrado” mining project of Anglo-American Sur company, despite convincing scientific and citizen observations regarding irreparable damage it would cause to the ecosystems and human health. This project involves a total investment of US$ 3,500 million, plus US$ 200 million this year to take proposed measures for mitigation.
Firstly, the Environmental Assessment Resolution (RCA according to its Spanish initials) rejected the project because it would affect the air quality and residents’ health from the Metropolitana region. Due to this, the company proposed replacing 80% of the functioning wood stoves in the region and paving several roads. However, both measures aren’t at the same level as the huge damages that would be caused and are insufficient to reverse the authority’s decision. The heater’s replacement is not viable and doesn’t focus on productive processes and emission sources from mine. On the other hand, the second measure should be at least the compensatory minimum to reduce the displacement impacts.
The Anglo-American mining activity in high basins severely affects the ecosystem and population’s quality of life. Mining also reduces the water supply, worsens the air pollution in a city, and contributes to glacier destruction, which is essential to ensure the water supply in these regions. In brief, the mining project is harmful and has negative impacts on the environment and society.
Moreover, the underground expansion under bare-ice and rock glaciers in the region could cause damages whose consequences are still unknown due to the sub-glacial filtration. Additionally, the particles and dust produced during the process could be placed in glaciers because of the winds at great heights. This could accelerate the melting process.
In 2014, research made by the Dirección General de Aguas (DGA according to the Spanish initials) [General Water Authority] studied the miner activity impact on glaciers in the central Andes. They concluded that climate change isn’t the main cause of glaciers’ disappearance in the area but miner activity, particularly black carbon emissions from these companies.
A report made by the Carbon Disclosure Project (a not-for-profit charity) sets Anglo American as one of the 100 responsible companies for 77% of worldwide carbon emissions.
As Fundación Glaciares Chilenos, we drastically reject the approval of the Los Bronces Integrados project, which has been widely questioned by communities and social organizations, who have demonstrated significant scientific evidence about how detrimental and harmful the project is. Only for the fact of considering projects − that affect glaciers and risk the hydric supply of more than 7 million inhabitants in the middle of a climate and hydric crisis − is irresponsible.
We hope that this project might be stopped by appropriate instances and thus avoid transforming the Metropolitana and Valparaíso region into a new sacrifice area.
Human life is more valuable than copper or economic investment. There isn’t any action that might mitigate and compensate the glacier destruction and air pollution.
We say No to Los Bronces Integrado of Anglo American because it harms people’s health, risks the water supply in the Metropolitana and Valparaíso region, destroys our glaciers, and affects the mountain ecosystems.
Featured image:
- Credits to La Tercera / Link. (Chilean newspaper)
