Chile rules against BHP over Cerro Colorado's environmental permit – Reuters

Chile's Supreme Court upheld a complaint by the San Isidro de Quipisca Indigenous Agricultural Association over the granting of environmental approval in 2016 for BHP Group's Cerro Colorado copper mine about concerns over the operation's water use, Reuters reported Jan. 14.

According to the report, the complaint was upheld after a routine evaluation found that the mine's environmental project did not consider warnings by locals that Cerro Colorado was excessively using water and almost dried out surrounding wetlands.

Lawyers representing the Indigenous group said BHP should cease operations at Cerro Colorado while an ongoing environmental review is completed. However, BHP contested that the mine could continue operations while the review is being undertaken, based on the terms of an earlier finding on the same dispute by the country's Environmental Court.