Antofagasta PLC
07 November 2006
ANTOFAGASTA PLC
For immediate release - Tuesday, November 7, 2006
Minera Los Pelambres - El Mauro tailings dam project
LONDON: November 7, 2006 - Antofagasta plc ('Antofagasta') reports that last
Friday (3 November 2006) the Court of Appeals of Santiago upheld a claim
presented by community organisations in the Pupio Valley which forms part of the
municipality of Los Vilos against the award of some permits by the Chilean water
authority, the Direccion General de Aguas, in November 2005 for certain aspects
of the construction of the El Mauro tailings dam by Antofagasta's 60%-owned
subsidiary, Minera Los Pelambres ('Los Pelambres').
Following the Court of Appeals decision, Los Pelambres has issued the following
statement:
• During a lengthy planning process for the El Mauro dam which began in
2003, Los Pelambres gave detailed consideration to the environmental impact
of the project and focused especially on issues of safety, the proper use of
the natural water resources, and respect for third-party water rights. These
issues were fully reviewed by the relevant governmental technical and
environmental agencies. The regional environmental authority of Coquimbo
(COREMA) approved the necessary Environment Impact Assessment in April 2004
and this decision was fully ratified by the national environmental authority
(CONAMA) at the end of 2004. Los Pelambres subsequently applied for and was
granted all the necessary sectoral permits from the relevant governmental
authorities. Los Pelambres believes that it has received all the technical
and legal permits necessary to undertake development of the El Mauro project,
which is now 58% complete.
• As one of the parties affected by the decision of the Court of
Appeals made against the Direccion General de Aguas on Friday 3 November, Los
Pelambres is preparing an appeal to the Chilean Supreme Court to seek a
reversal of this decision.
• Pending a definitive decision on this issue, Los Pelambres is
continuing with the planned development of the project.
Enquiries - London Enquiries - Santiago
Antofagasta plc Antofagasta Minerals S.A.
Tel: +44 20 7808 0988 Tel +562 377 5000
www.antofagasta.co.uk Francisco Velsoso
Email: fveloso@aminerals.cl
Desmond O'Conor
Email: doconor@antofagasta.co.uk
Issued by
Hussein Barma Bankside Consultants
Email: hbarma@antofagasta.co.uk Tel: +44 20 7367 8873
Keith Irons
Email: keith@bankside.com
This information is provided by RNS
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