Chile orders Lundin to shut small copper mine after causing massive sinkhole
SANTIAGO - Canadian miner Lundin must permanently close its Alcaparrosa copper mine in Chile, the South American nation's environmental regulator said on Thursday, after a massive sinkhole cracked open near the small mine in 2022.
Lundin had paused work at the site after a sinkhole more than 60 m deep opened in the Tierra Amarilla village in northern Chile, but had pushed to restart mining at Alcaparrosa.
In a statement, Chile's SMA regulator said it ruled Lundin was responsible for the sinkhole, and that it must shutter the mine and pay a fine of 3.36-billion pesos ($3.41-million).
Lundin "operated in unauthorized sectors, up until the Copiapo River aquifer, which allowed more water to infiltrate in and subsequently weaken the rock mass," regulator head Marie Claude Plumer said in a statement.
"The company caused irreparable environmental damage," she added.
The miner's local unit, Ojos del Salado, said in a statement that it would review the ruling and determine its next steps.
Late on Thursday, Lundin issued a separate statement in which it noted that next steps would relate to what it described as charges it had violated its environmental permit for the Alcaparrosa project.
The miner stressed its cooperation with SMA's investigation into the matter, including by providing monitoring technology, studies and experts.
Lundin said its Candelaria project has not been affected, and that the mine should produce between 140 000 t to 150 000 t of copper in 2025.
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