https://www.miningweekly.com
Copper|Environment|Mining|System|Water|Environmental
Copper|Environment|Mining|System|Water|Environmental
copper|environment|mining|system|water|environmental

Chile dictates measures against Lundin for giant sinkhole

17th August 2022

By: Reuters

  

Font size: - +

SANTIAGO - Chile's SMA environmental regulator said on Tuesday it had issued a series of measures against a copper mine owned by Canada's Lundin Mining after a sinkhole opened up near one of the company's mines.

The SMA ordered six "urgent and transitory" measures while it continues to investigate causes that generated the sinkhole that measures 36.5 m in diameter in Tierra Amarilla, some 665 km north of Santiago.

"After several inspection visits to the area, we detected that the company was carrying out an over-extraction of material, which could have caused an increase in outcropping waters that have not been adequately controlled," environment superintendent Emmanuel Ibarra said.

Mining Minister Marcela Hernando said last week the government would seek to apply harsh sanctions to those responsible for the sinkhole, citing the overexploitation of the nearby deposit. 

Measures announced Tuesday include a soil stability study, monitoring levels in the waterhole, hydro-geochemical analysis of major compounds and trace elements of groundwater, and a study evaluating the current drainage system.

The regulator also requested a study to verify whether the volumes of water extracted by Ojos del Salado mine have detrimented nearby aquifers.

The Canadian firm owns 80% of the property, while the remaining 20% is in the hands of Japan's Sumitomo Metal Mining and Sumitomo Corporation.

The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Edited by Reuters

Comments

Showroom

Multotec
Multotec

Multotec, recognised industry leaders in metallurgy and process engineering help mining houses across the world process minerals more efficiently,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
GreaseMax
GreaseMax

GreaseMax is a chemically operated automatic lubricator.

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.128 0.167s - 114pq - 2rq
1:
1: United States
Subscribe Now
2: United States
2: