Chile: Indigenous organisations concerned about water use by mining projects on Peru/Chile border
On the occasion of the international Day of Indigenous Peoples, Aymara organizations sharing the border between Chile and Peru denounced (in Spanish) the loss of water sources due to mining concessions that would be impacting negatively the environment in this desert zone. Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Teck Resources and BHP Billiton to respond. Both responses are available. We also invited Minsur (part of Golder Associates) to respond. We will inform if they do.
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Response by BHP Billiton
Author: BHP Billiton
14 August 2017
Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the concerns expressed in the document of 8 August 2017 entitled “Comunicado público -proyecto minero aurífero “Pucamarca” de la empresa minera Minsur- Perú,”…BHP has no association with the “Pucamarca” mine in Peru…In Chile, BHP has two operating copper assets in the regions of Antofagasta and Tarapacá and we have early stage exploration activities in many parts of the country. In the fifteenth region of Chile, we are currently exploring for copper and we have exploration tenements in the area mentioned in the document from community members…BHP respects the rights of Indigenous peoples and acknowledges their right to maintain their cultures, identities, traditions and customs. Our approach to engaging with Indigenous peoples is articulated in the BHP Indigenous Peoples Policy Statement, available at http://www.bhp.com/our-approach/operating-with-integrity/indigenous-peoples, in which we commit to the 2013 International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) Position Statement on Indigenous Peoples and Mining.
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- This is a response from the following companies: BHP Billiton
Response by Teck Resources
Author: Teck Resources
Teck has no ownership whatsoever in the Pucamarca project, of Minsur S.A., in Peru, nor in any other country in which the company can operate. Thus, it ignores the activities pursued there and their operational conditions…Teck holds mining concessions in the Arica y Parinacota Region, in Chile, which are duly authorized by the competent authorities. In such concessions, Teck is carrying out early exploration activities, which consider mapping, sampling, and environmental information survey. These activities do not cause environmental effects and -at this stage – pursuant to Chilean environmental law, do not require the performance of an environmental evaluation…As part of its relations policy, Teck keeps dialogue with all communities, including the indigenous peoples of the territory, and is available to share any information the communities require on its activities.
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- Related stories: Chile: Indigenous organisations concerned about water use by mining projects on Peru/Chile border
- This is a response from the following companies: Teck Resources