Chile's Environmental Regulator Files Charges Against Los Bronces Mine

SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Chile's environmental regulator has filed four charges against the major Los Bronces copper mine, controlled by Anglo American, for noncompliance with environmental permits, the agency said on Monday.

The charges could carry a fine of nearly 17 billion pesos ($17.17 million), according to the Superintendency of the Environment (SMA).

Los Bronces is one of Chile's biggest copper mines, with an output of 255,000 metric tons last year, and is key for Anglo American, which has been a takeover target of larger rival BHP.

Anglo American did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Serious Charges

One charge was deemed "very serious," the highest of three offense levels, for noncompliance dating back to a 2014 sanction.

At that time, the SMA found that Anglo American Sur, the local unit operating Los Bronces, failed to resolve acid drainage at the Esteriles Donoso tailings deposit, designed to hold mine waste.

> "The company has not implemented a definitive solution … it constitutes a repetition of acts previously sanctioned," the SMA stated.

The regulator filed two additional charges in the mid-level "serious" category. One was against Anglo American for failing to design a mitigation system for acid waters collected downstream of the Esteriles deposit, and another for not taking measures to control seepage in Las Tortolas tailings dam.

Among the findings, the SMA categorized the miner's failure to report complete data related to water and tailings as a "minor" violation.

Next Steps

The miner has 15 days to present a mitigation program and 22 days to contest the charges. Earlier this month, the SMA also filed three charges against Anglo American for violations at its El Soldado copper mine in the Valparaiso region.

($1 = 989.9000 Chilean pesos)