The Canadian company Barrick will begin a new drilling project to explore for gold in the Atacama Region - an exploration proposal that contemplates a disbursement of US$35 million - whose Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) could be presented shortly before 2030 if it is successful. This is four years after the First Environmental Court upheld the closure of Pascua Lama.
In an interview with El Mercurio, the mining company's executive director of government relations for South America, Marcelo Álvarez, said that the El Alto prospecting project would be located next to Pascua Lama, in the Atacama Region. "Since 2019, when Mark Bristow (president and CEO of the company) entered Barrick, there was a very big change in management," commented Álvarez to the aforementioned newspaper.
He added that, under Bristow's new management, "mistakes were recognized, it was decided to stop litigating and (it was resolved) to close the legal matters with Chile, and move on to action in terms of doing things in a different way".
The Canadian mining company Barrick also indicated that it has spent four years rebuilding relations with the community of Alto del Carmen, in the Atacama Region, considering that the El Alto prospecting project would be located next to Pascua Lama. This last initiative was closed in September 2020 by the First Environmental Court, due to violations with the Environmental Qualification Resolution (RCA).
By Ignacia Munita, The Clinic.