Codelco is studying to redesign Andina 244 Project
Its most ambitious initiative, which considers almost $ 7,000 million, has been criticized for its environmental impact. It could also be affected by the future law of glaciers.
Andina 244 Expansion, the most ambitious of the so called structural Projects of Codelco, is being redesigned by the state mining company.
According to a senior source from the company, the final decision on the future of this initiative will be released in a matter of weeks, once the studies are underway to most likely are ready to downsize.
The alternative that generates more consensus is to build Andina 244 in a modular fashion, ie, starting with a smaller project and grow as requiring.The project is now pending environmental-and that is being developed by Codelco consider making a big project at once, adding 343,000 tons of copper to the total annual production of the corporation.
This is supported by several of the key executives of the company and also by the board, it will allow to build in the medium to long-term comprehensive initiative as it has been designed, and the immediate phase will lay the foundation for future growth of the Andina division, that is one of the greatest potential, in terms of reserves and estimated resources-not only the copper company but global mining.
But this project has presented two problems as transaction: the high cost of investment, which far exceeds the other initiatives of the portfolio of the state company-and the environmental impact generated, affecting, as acknowledged by the company, six rock glaciers rock.
“The project will not affect any white glacier and does not affect any of the glacier from the metropolitan area, of any kind. Given this, it is incorrect to claim that there will be intervention from Glacier La Paloma.
And, likewise, it is incorrect to say that the project has impacts on water resources in the Metropolitan Region. We state categorically that no glaciers that feed Mapocho and Maipo Rivers are involved “, the state company officially states.
However, if it is recognized that the project affects, in a period of 30 years, equivalent to 0.08% of all glaciers in the sector. “The impact has been limited to 6 rock glaciers: one covered with a dump and other five were involved in their tips, that is, in part”, explains the company.
Opposition
In recent weeks, and as the deadline that Codelco must respond to queries including more than 2,000 in the first approaches within ICSARA-deadline is on July 31st-criticism have increased the viability of Andina 244 .
The strongest opposition senators are from RN Santiago, Andrés Allamand and Manuel José Ossandon, who have said the expansion should be rejected by the Service Environmental Assessment (SEA). “In our opinion, and unless it is significantly reformulated and the doubts about its main impacts are clarified, the project is environmentally unviable and should be rejected by the Environmental Assessment Service” both parliamentarians said in a joint statement.
They have argued that the figures released by Codelco on the impact on glaciers is incorrect. “The Andina 244 Project has 26 glaciers in its area of influence and the impact Codelco has admitted on at least 6 of them. However, considering the nature of the project, it is expected a much greater impact on the white glaciers surrounding it, mainly because of the dust from the mine site, “added the senators.
Precisely relating to glaciers, President Michelle Bachelet announced in the speech of last May 21st to consider a bill to protect glaciers, which could significantly affect Andina 244.
Source: Pulso
