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Chilean mine proposal might deal with Supreme Court evaluation, environment minister says

An iron and copper mining job in northern Chile that has raised environmental concerns could ultimately deal with analysis by the Supreme Court, the environment minister said on Tuesday, after a local tribunal annulled a 2023 denial of a proposal for the $2.5 billion. Dominga mine.

Chile's Andes Iron has actually attempted for years to establish the. project in the Coquimbo region, but faced opposition from. ecologists. It ended up being a sign of allowing and. environmental difficulties in Chile, the biggest copper-producing. country.

A federal government evaluation committee in January 2023 blocked a key. ecological authorization, but a Chilean environmental court on. Monday deemed that rejection invalid. It purchased the body,. consisted of government ministers, to re-do its analysis within. 15 days.

Environment Minister Maisa Rojas stated she might not comment. on information of the case, but noted it could reach the Supreme. Court if further rulings are appealed.

This is a choice that might still be thought about by the. Supreme Court and we can not describe the compound of the matter. since it is a pending process, she said in a declaration.

The federal government evaluation committee has power to authorize or reject. resolutions by ecological authorities. Nevertheless, the. environmental court that manages the Coquimbo area, referred to as. the First Environmental Tribunal, said the committee failed to. act impartially in its 2023 decision.

The task ought to be examined by a panel of ministers who. are not involved in circumstances that compromise their. impartiality and administrative stability, the court said in. its ruling on Monday.

The mining task would be located 500 kilometers (310. miles) north of Chile's capital Santiago, near environmental. reserves. Critics say its distance to environmentally delicate. areas would cause unnecessary damage.

Andes Iron stated its job adheres to ecological. policies and requirements.

(source: Reuters)