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Original article: Concluye proceso de participación ciudadana en proyecto de ampliación de Minera El Abra: Iniciativa recibió casi 2 mil observaciones en total

By Camila Sierra M.

With over a thousand observations from public agencies and nearly 800 from citizens, significant deficiencies have been highlighted in the El Abra mining mega-project. This initiative, which involves a staggering US$7.5 billion investment, threatens 17,000 hectares, including around 11,000 hectares of biodiverse soil and invaluable archaeological sites.

The project impacts five municipalities in the Antofagasta region—Calama, Tocopilla, Mejillones, Ollagüe, and María Elena—and includes plans for a concentrator plant, a new tailings deposit of approximately 5,900 hectares, an aqueduct, and a desalination plant.

The environmental assessment for the operational continuity of El Abra and the development of the Concentrator Plant with a Transition to Desalinated Water shows that delays are not due to supposed «permisology» but stem from the urgent need to correct significant technical flaws in a project that could have far-reaching impacts on archaeological heritage, desert ecosystems, and the territories in the Antofagasta region—making it one of the largest mining projects currently undergoing the Environmental Impact Assessment System (SEIA).

The project aims to extract water from the Ascotán salt flat in Ollagüe through the extension of the open-pit mine, construct a concentrator plant in Calama, and create a new tailings deposit of approximately 5,900 hectares in the same municipality, alongside an aqueduct in María Elena and a desalination plant in Tocopilla and Mejillones.

The evaluation process has exposed crucial inadequacies in the information submitted by the project proponent. To date, state administration bodies have issued over 1,000 technical observations, requesting clarifications, corrections, and additional information to appropriately assess the project’s environmental impacts.

Meanwhile, citizens have submitted nearly 800 observations during the public participation process, reflecting widespread social concern about the potential effects this initiative could have on the territory.

Observations from public agencies cover critical issues related to biodiversity protection, water resources, air quality, cumulative and synergistic impact assessments, waste and tailings management, risks to wildlife, and insufficient characterization of various environmental components.

Additionally, warnings have been raised about the impacts on the archaeological and cultural heritage of the region, including historically significant areas like the geoglyphs of Chug Chug and the pre-Hispanic mining complex of San José del Abra, as well as other heritage assets present in the project’s influence area.

The high number of observations filed by competent agencies serves as an objective indicator that the Environmental Impact Study presents gaps in information and insufficient evidence to demonstrate compliance with current environmental regulations and to adequately dismiss the risks associated with such a large-scale initiative.

The Environmental Impact Assessment System is not a barrier to investment. Its purpose, as established by Chilean legislation, is to ensure that projects capable of generating significant impacts are rigorously evaluated, incorporating the knowledge of public services and guaranteeing effective participation of potentially affected communities.

Undermining this process would reduce protections for fragile ecosystems, irreplaceable cultural heritage, and collective rights of communities.

Social organizations and communities involved in this process are calling on citizens, academic institutions, environmental and human rights organizations, as well as public institutions, to support the defense of the territory against a project of this magnitude.

To submit observations, visit the link https://share.google/nZuGRN0Fwhhu9FLZe with a unique key and follow the instructions provided in the form. The process will conclude on July 1.

Camila Sierra

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