The National Environmental Certification Service for Sustainable Investments of Peru (Senace) approved this Thursday the modification of the environmental impact study of the Antamina copper mining company, which will allow it to extend its operations until 2036 and will involve an investment of 2,000 million dollars .

Through a resolution published in the official newspaper El Peruano, the Ministry of the Environment authorizes the company to optimize the existing mining components within its current area of ​​operations, in the district of San Marcos, in the Andean region of Ancash.

“As part of the evaluation process, the favorable binding technical opinion was received from the National Water Authority and the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State. Likewise, it has the favorable technical opinions of the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, the Ministry of Culture and the National Forestry and Wildlife Service,” the resolution indicated.

For its part, the mining company, whose main shareholders are BHP Billiton (33.75%), Glencore (33.75%), Teck (22.5%) and Mitsubishi (10%), expressed in a statement that the modification of the study of environmental impact “will allow Antamina to optimize existing mining components within its current operation, underpinning environmental, social and operational sustainability.”

And that this new environmental impact study represents “an important milestone for Antamina and the Peruvian mining industry, and reaffirms our commitment to the country and the Áncash region,” indicated the president of the company, Víctor Gobitz, through the information released. .

He explained that among the main modifications are the expansion of the footprint of the open pit, and the optimization of the dumps and tailings dam, changes that “have been designed under strict engineering protocols, which guarantee safe conditions for workers and companies.” adjacent communities.

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It is worth mentioning that on September 29, hundreds of residents of the Llata ​​district, in the central region of Huánuco, entered the Antamina facilities in protest of the alleged breaches of agreements with the communities, according to Peruvian media.