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EXPERT CONDEMNS CHILEAN GLACIER POLICY AS �INSUFFICIENT�

Mining Giant Barrick Gold Denies Environmental Damage From Pascua Lama Project

by Chris NoyceSantiago Times
April 24th, 2009

Mining Giant Barrick Gold Denies Environmental Damage From Pascua Lama Project

German glacier expert Alexander Brenning labeled Chile�s glacier protection policy as �not sufficient� on Wednesday, highlighting the need for greater information to be provided to the public and businesses regarding the environmental impact of mining projects in Chile.
glaciar_pascua_lama
The receding of glaciers at the Pascua Lama project, as described
byProf. Alexander Brenning.
Photo courtesy of the University of Waterloo

Brenning, an assistant professor of geography at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, delivered a talk on Wednesday at the Geology Department of the Universidad de Chile titled �The impact of mining activity on rock glaciers in Chile and scientific grounds for their protection.� In his talk he detailed the geological aspects of rock glaciers before examining the damaging effects of mining activity upon such glaciers and various government policies to protect them.

�In terms of the mining interventions on rock glaciers, I would say that the Chilean glacier policy that has now been approved will not be sufficient,� Brenning told the Santiago Times. �The modification of the Environmental Impact Evaluation System (SEIA) is not sufficient for the protection of glaciers, because we can see that projects that in the past that have affected rock glaciers, like CODELCO�s Andina and Anglo American�s Los Bronces/Disputada mine, all went through that system.�

Brenning was referring to Chilean state-owned copper mining company CODELCO�s mine, Divisi�n Andina, located some 80 kilometers north of Santiago, and London-based miners Anglo American�s Los Bronces/Disputada mine in the Metropolitan Region, both of which have been criticized for advancing the melting of glaciers in Chile.

On April 9 the National Environmental Commission (CONAMA) approved the National Glacier Policy, an agreement between the government, the National Mining Society, and the Mining Council, which represents 17 of the nation�s largest mining companies. The policy requires environmental impact studies when projects are undertaken on or near glaciers. 

Rock glaciers are natural sources of water often formed from ice flows on mountains, and are found in particular abundance in the Andes around Santiago and Mendoza in Argentina. The internal structure of rock glaciers means they are natural water reservoirs, with the water being stored as ice. Brenning classes glaciers as non-renewable resources, pointing out that they can take thousands of years to regenerate. 

Glaciers are particularly important in Chile for agricultural irrigation, especially in summer months in arid or semiarid areas where rainfall is scarce. Glaciers can be adversely affected by mining when they are covered by infertile ballast, which can contaminate the water and cause the surface water to flow more quickly, slowly draining the reservoir. 

Brenning pointed out that up to two-thirds of general drinking water for Santiago�s 5.3 million inhabitants comes from a single water shed in the high Andes, consisting of two small glaciers which are now retreating. He also pointed out in his talk that 20 million cubic meters of water in rock glaciers were either removed or affected at the Divisi�n Andina and Los Bronces mines in the past 30 years and suggested that it might even eventually become necessary to avoid any type of work near or on rock glaciers.

Mineral mining in Chile has seen enormous expansion projects since the 1980s due to a significant increase in worldwide copper prices. Chile is currently the world�s largest copper producer and one of the largest gold producers.

One of the most controversial mining projects in current development is Canadian gold mining giant Barrick Gold�s Pascua Lama operation, straddling the Chile-Argentina border in Chile�s Region III and the Argentine province of San Juan. The project�s environmental impact study shows it will affect 17.5 cubic kilometers of land and suggests it could lead to the removal of some 10 hectares of glacier.

While the project�s environmental impact study was approved by the Atacama Regional Environmental Commission (COREMA) in February 2006, subject to severe limitations including prohibitions against the destruction or alteration of glaciers, its publication led to requests and petitions from local NGOs and individuals concerned about the impact on water supply for irrigation.

Environmental group Sustainable Chile claimed that two glaciers in the project area, Toro I and Toro II, already show signs of severe damage due to the construction of roads and holes left in the rock from prospecting.

When asked what measures had been taken to protect glaciers in regions in which the Pascua Lama project is to be undertaken, Barrick Chile Corporate Matters Manager Rodrigo Rivas told the Santiago Times that Barrick had developed a Monitoring Plan, approved by COREMA Atacama in October 2008, in conjunction with the Universidad de La Serena which details all possibly affected glaciers and means by which any damage to them can be avoided. 

Rivas also defended Barrick against accusations that the project could have a negative impact on the surrounding environment.

�One of Barrick�s principal commitments is to apply the highest standards of environmental management in all of our projects and operations,� he told the Santiago Times. �The way in which we will work will be carried out with the greatest of care through a preventative structure that will avoid any type of situation which could generate problems for the environment. Furthermore, our company promises that if as a result of its activities any water becomes contaminated, which we are ensuring will not happen through the means we are implementing, the project will stop immediately.�

Though mining companies in Chile like Barrick assure they are carrying out all operations with the support of government institutions, Brenning suggested that some mining operations carried out by Anglo American, Barrick Gold, CODELCO, and Minera Los Pelambres �were not declared to the authorities.�

When asked whether he thought it was realistic to expect mining companies to reduce their activities in mineral-rich areas with a high number of glaciers, Brenning told the Santiago Times, �Of course, I do not expect a company to step back from its economic potential unless they discover their environmental responsibility. Of course they have a very legitimate interest in those economic activities, so the question would be whether all the stakeholders together would agree on some intervention.�

In December 2006 Chile�s Senate approved a law which would ensure protection for glaciers, though the law was frozen in January 2007 following pressure from the mining sector. On April 9, CONAMA approved the National Glacier Policy, which replaces the rejected glacier protection law.

Environmentalists have labeled the policy an inadequate substitute for binding legislation and have particularly expressed their frustration with the phrase �eventual [mining] operations will be considered if the greater interests of the nation require so,� claiming that the use of the word �interests� is too ambiguous to allow the policy to fully protect against further potentially damaging operations.

Brenning suggested on Wednesday that the National Glacier Policy is �a step forward but does not solve all the problems.�

In a 2008 essay, Brenning suggested that Chile�s neo-liberal economic policy favors economic development over other issues such as the environment, and that a great discrepancy exists between what is written down in laws and policies and what is actually done in terms of concrete measures to protect glaciers.

Brenning also pointed out the need for greater education on glaciers in Chile.

�I think political or legal changes may not be the only way to go, or the right way. To make an informed decision you need information: scientific research, education. My feeling is that very little is known about rock glaciers.�

He has also pointed out that the Pascua Lama project shows the local population has started to make use of participatory instruments provided by new environmental legislation, saying, �If the trend toward increasing awareness and participation persists, then a better trade-off between mining and the environment may become possible.�

 

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