By Fabian Cambero
SANTIAGO, Jan 23 (Reuters) – Chile’s environmental regulator said on Friday it has fined Antofagasta Minerals about $775,000 for failing to comply with water management regulations at its Centinela copper mine.
Centinela, which includes Antofagasta’s Esperanza and El Tesoro projects, produced 223,800 metric tons of copper in 2024.
Regulator SMA said the company did not keep proper track of water resources and did not follow the monitoring rules outlined in the “El Tesoro” project’s environmental impact study and an additional monitoring plan.
The regulator said this was evident because there were no records for an exploration well named LE-1, and they also failed to measure the water flow at the “La Cascada” spring as often as required.
Antofagasta said it was reviewing the resolution to determine its next steps.
“The resolution from the SMA marks the conclusion of a process in which Minera Centinela has actively and transparently collaborated with the authorities, in line with its ongoing commitment to environmental compliance and the sustainable development of its operations,” the company said in a statement.
The investigation originated from inspections conducted between 2019 and 2020.
This violation was categorized as minor, and the fine must be paid within 10 business days of notification.
(Reporting by Fabian Cambero in Santiago; Editing by Brendan O’Boyle, Cassandra Garrison and Alistair Bell)
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