The Chamber of Mining of Catamarca and the Argentine Chamber of Mining Companies have issued a statement in response to the ruling issued by the Provincial Court of Catamarca, regarding lithium projects in the area of Río los Patos, located in the Salar del Hombre Muerto, in Antofagasta de la Sierra.

By Panorama Minero

In the statement, the local Chamber reported that the Provincial Court, within the framework of a collective procedure, deemed an environmental protection action admissible and, through a precautionary measure, ordered the Ministry of Mining to conduct a "cumulative and integral" environmental impact study on lithium mining activity in the area. Additionally, the Ministry was instructed to refrain from granting new permits, authorizations, or environmental impact statements for new projects in the same area.

Following this ruling, the Chamber expressed that the exploration and exploitation projects of lithium "have obtained all the permits and authorizations required by the applicable regulations, as well as the approval of their respective environmental impact statements, presenting the corresponding reports in strict compliance with the technical administrative procedures and the technical and environmental conditions established, including citizen participation." The statement, signed by Ignacio Costa, president of the institution, emphasized the commitment of the entity to work with all involved entities "to ensure the productive mining development of the province within the current regulatory framework, ensuring both the interests of the associated companies and the well-being of Catamarca's society as a whole."

The word of the Argentine Chamber of Mining Companies

In response to recent information about the ruling issued by the Court of Justice of Catamarca, the Argentine Chamber of Mining Companies (CAEM) also issued a statement clarifying its position and emphasized that "it is important to note that this measure does not affect ongoing productive activities."

CAEM supported the statement of the Mining Chamber of Catamarca and the companies operating in the region and specified that the lithium projects under development, both those already in production and those in previous stages, have complied with all "legal requirements regarding the environment and their corresponding approvals." Furthermore, from the entity that brings together the main mining companies in the country, they emphasized that "lithium represents an opportunity to boost regional economies, especially those in northwestern Argentina (NOA), through responsible production from both an environmental and social perspective."