MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine Law Protecting Glaciers will not affect mine project says Barrick Gold

The controversial Pascua Lama project is one of the world’s biggest in the world

Argentina recently passed an initiative to protect glacier sites, restricting mining activity in glacial regions, particularly along the Andes Mountain and its 3,100-mile border with Chile.

The law strives to protect the not only the glaciers, but also the water basins and sources for human consumption and agriculture – all of which activists and environmentalists supporting the news law say could be contaminated by mining activity.

The law includes creating a national inventory of the country’s glaciers, which will give experts a view of existing investment projects and could possibly stop the advancement of exploitative operations in these regions.

Since the recent passing of the law, some local media reports have questioned whether the law could affect the Pascua Lama gold mining project, which straddles both Chile and Argentine. Already, the project has been heavily criticized for its proximity to glaciers in the area and its affect on the environment and communities surrounding it.

However, the project’s owners, Canadian mining company Barrick Gold, say the new regulations will not affect the mine, due to the fact that it has taken “exhaustive measures” to avoid harming the surrounding glaciers. The company says it will continue normal operations in compliance with legal limitations starting next month.

The Pascua Lama mine is located in Chile’s Atacama Region (III) and Argentina’s San Juan Province.

Exploration of Pascua Lama began in 1977, and by the end of the 90s, it had become one of the biggest gold projects in the world. But the project has been delayed due to opposition by ecologists and environmental groups.

Argentina and Chile are home to the largest glaciers in South America. But these glaciers are threatened by climate change and industrial activity, particularly by mining operations, which have multiplied drastically in the last 20 years. Ecologists say they are worried the projects will contaminate water and destroy the glaciers.

By Mary Le Gassick - Santiago Times