A Chilean environmental court in Antofagasta has ordered local environmental authority SEA to re-evaluate a $2.5 billion iron ore project from copper and iron ore producer Andes Iron.
Judges at Chile’s First Environment Court in Antofagasta had unanimously ordered SEA to re-evaluate the project, while accepting the claims filed by Andes Iron. According to the court decision, the project’s valuation by a SEA commission was not properly based on technical aspects.
The project aims to produce up to 12 million mt of iron ore per year. SEA was the first reject the project in March 2017. Then, Coquimbo’s environmental commission had also banned it. In August last year, a minister council kept the project ban. Since then, Andes Iron has been appealing the case. The court decision may now pave the way for Andes Iron to advance the project.
“We appreciate Antofagasta’s Environmental Court decision, which demands the Dominga project to be evaluated,” said Ivan Garrido, CEO at Andes Iron.
In April this year, a Chilean court had allowed local mining and steelmaking group CAP to build a port in Cruz Grande, in the north region of Chungungo. The approved project will be located near the Dominga iron ore project.