The marine conservation organization, Oceana, has intensified its efforts to stop the controversial Dominga port mining project in Chile. Recently, they filed an appeal with the Chilean Ministerial Commission, requesting the inclusion of critical information that was omitted in the initial Environmental Qualification Resolution (RCA) that rejected the project.
Oceana Strengthens Its Opposition to the Dominga Project in Chile
Liesbeth van der Meer, Executive Director of Oceana in Chile, emphasized that although the Regional Ministerial Secretariats of Seremis and the Intendant had already presented reasons to reject the Dominga mine, there are additional technical and environmental deficiencies that must be considered. “We have documented serious technical and environmental failures by the contracting company, adding new reasons to support the rejection of the project,” van der Meer explained.
Oceana’s appeal emphasizes the importance of including these scientific arguments in the final resolution, as they highlight the inherent vulnerabilities of the mining project. The presentation also seeks the definitive suspension of the project, considering the observations raised by the environmental organization.
Among the highlighted issues, Oceana mentions the late inclusion of maritime transport in the evaluation process, which expands the impact area and poses additional risks to the flora and fauna of nearby marine reserves.
In March, the Environmental Evaluation Commission of the Coquimbo Region decided to reject the Andes Iron project due to its threat to local marine reserves and the lack of guarantees regarding the absence of significant environmental impact. The proposed mitigation measures were also deemed insufficient.
Following this decision, the mining company filed an appeal to overturn the rejection, which is now in the hands of the Ministerial Committee. This group, composed of the ministries of Environment, Economy, Mining, Agriculture, Energy, and Health, will be responsible for confirming or revoking the initial decision. The verdict is expected to be known in the second half of 2017.
Van der Meer emphasized the need to protect the unique habitat of Punta Choros, home to 80% of the world’s Humboldt penguin population and Chile’s oldest marine reserves. “This unique ecosystem is irreplaceable and must be conserved,” she added.
