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By Natalia A. Ramos Miranda
SANTIAGO, June 5 (Reuters) – The Chilean environmental regulator reported on Wednesday that it ordered to extend for 120 days the partial cessation of material movement within the Salares Norte gold project of the South African Gold Fields, to guarantee the protection of an endemic species in danger .
The Superintendency of the Environment (SMA) has issued risk control measures since 2020 against the initiative located in the mountain range of the Atacama Region after the injury and death of chinchillas, rodents from the Andean highlands.
The most recent measure that paralyzed the dismantling activities of a rockery located in the mine-plant sector had been issued in mid-May and the extension began on Wednesday, without stopping the production operation.
“The renewal of the measure is justified in that the owner has not given certainty to the Superintendency regarding the absence of a population of chinchillas in the place where the dismantling of rockery No. 3 will be carried out,” said superintendent Marie Claude Plumer, cited in a statement.
“This species is classified as Critically Endangered, so any operation must be carried out guaranteeing its protection. This, also considering that its protection is part of the measures that were committed by the owner within the framework of its environmental evaluation,” he added. .
Gold Fields said in a statement sent to Reuters that it was reviewing the measure issued by the authority in order to provide the corresponding response as soon as possible.
He stressed that the measure “seeks the temporary suspension of the activities associated with the Rescue and Relocation Plan of the Salares Norte project, and not its operation.”
The SMA said that it had made the decision after reviewing the information presented by the company after the May resolution and that the company would not be complying with the rescue and relocation plan for the species.
The agency said that the company had to present documents proving week by week that it did not continue executing the liberation of the rock, with dated and georeferenced photographs.
Construction of the Chilean mine, valued at $1 billion, began in 2020 and was expected to be commissioned in early 2023. However, it was also postponed due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and bad weather. (Reporting by Natalia Ramos, with additional reporting by Fabián Cambero)
Reuters
