Chile Plans to Strengthen Glacier Protection in Copper-Rich Andes

SANTIAGO (Scrap Monster): Michelle Bachelet, Chilean President plans to step up the glacier protection in copper rich Andes Mountain Range where miners Anglo American Plc and Codelco miners decides to expand their copper mining operations. He said that the glaciers here represent a resource of fresh water of immense values. Bachelet said in a state-of-the-nation address in Valparaiso, Chile on Thursday, that they would present a bill to protect the glaciers and the environment in order to make it compatible with regional and national needs.

Codelco, the biggest copper mining company said that it would remove six large glazier stone as a part of its expansion program worth $6.8 billion to its Andina mine in the capital city Santiago. A Senator representing the metropolitan region, Andres Allamand opposed this expansion program last month because of the water supply scarcity.

Anglo American plc also plans for a mining expansion to its Los Bronces, which is near to Andina. Due to the disputes relating water supply scarcity and court injunctions, barrack Gold Corp has terminated its $8.5 billion Pascua Lama gold projects on the border of Chile and Argentina, in the Andes Mountain Range.  

Bachelet said that the government had to improve laws governing water because drought becomes very common in coming years due to the climate change. The country is now challenging with a fourth year drought, causing wild fires that have affected the regional farms and the port city of Valparaiso. However, mining profit is considered as the source for Chile to become Latin America’s richest nation.