Business
Mauro tailings dam
Mauro tailings dam.
About this update from Antofagasta Plc
[{"type":"text","content":"\n Antofagasta PLC\n07 November 2006\n\n ANTOFAGASTA PLC\n\n\nFor immediate release - Tuesday, November 7, 2006\n\n\n Minera Los Pelambres - El Mauro tailings dam project\n\nLONDON: November 7, 2006 - Antofagasta plc ('Antofagasta') reports that last\nFriday (3 November 2006) the Court of Appeals of Santiago upheld a claim\npresented by community organisations in the Pupio Valley which forms part of the\nmunicipality of Los Vilos against the award of some permits by the Chilean water\nauthority, the Direccion General de Aguas, in November 2005 for certain aspects\nof the construction of the El Mauro tailings dam by Antofagasta's 60%-owned\nsubsidiary, Minera Los Pelambres ('Los Pelambres').\n\nFollowing the Court of Appeals decision, Los Pelambres has issued the following\nstatement:\n\n• During a lengthy planning process for the El Mauro dam which began in\n 2003, Los Pelambres gave detailed consideration to the environmental impact \n of the project and focused especially on issues of safety, the proper use of \n the natural water resources, and respect for third-party water rights. These \n issues were fully reviewed by the relevant governmental technical and \n environmental agencies. The regional environmental authority of Coquimbo \n (COREMA) approved the necessary Environment Impact Assessment in April 2004 \n and this decision was fully ratified by the national environmental authority \n (CONAMA) at the end of 2004. Los Pelambres subsequently applied for and was \n granted all the necessary sectoral permits from the relevant governmental \n authorities. Los Pelambres believes that it has received all the technical \n and legal permits necessary to undertake development of the El Mauro project, \n which is now 58% complete.\n\n• As one of the parties affected by the decision of the Court of\n Appeals made against the Direccion General de Aguas on Friday 3 November, Los\n Pelambres is preparing an appeal to the Chilean Supreme Court to seek a \n reversal of this decision.\n\n• Pending a definitive decision on this issue, Los Pelambres is\n continuing with the planned development of the project.\n\n\nEnquiries - London Enquiries - Santiago\nAntofagasta plc Antofagasta Minerals S.A.\nTel: +44 20 7808 0988 Tel +562 377 5000\nwww.antofagasta.co.uk Francisco Velsoso\n\n Email: [email protected]\n\nDesmond O'Conor\nEmai...