{"id":7639,"date":"2020-07-28T12:00:44","date_gmt":"2020-07-28T15:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/?p=7639"},"modified":"2026-02-08T23:41:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-09T02:41:17","slug":"mining-operations-that-have-irreversibly-intervened-glaciers-in-chile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/notes\/mining-operations-that-have-irreversibly-intervened-glaciers-in-chile\/","title":{"rendered":"Mining operations that have irreversibly intervened glaciers in Chile"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><span class=\"\" style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Chile, a mountainous country, where 70% of the population is supplied with mountain water. <\/span><span class=\"\" style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Glaciers represent an essential and strategic public good for society, as natural reserves of fresh water in the context of global warming, allowing basic levels of water security in this adverse context.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">The IPCC forecasts in 2007 identified central Chile as a critical area where water availability and hydroelectric generation will be seriously reduced due to the reduction of glaciers.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Based on the study of 26 mining sites, they have described three destructive practices:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Complete or partial removal of glaciers<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Creation of ballast and <\/span><\/span><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">debris <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">deposits <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">on glaciers<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">The construction of roads and infrastructure on top of <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">glaciers.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Impact of mining activity on glaciers in Chile<\/span><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">The glaciologists Alexander Brenning and Guillermo Az\u00f3car, in their studies <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">in the mountain range between Copiap\u00f3 and Rancagua, calculated that by 2010, mining projects had already impacted 4.5 km2 of rocky glaciers, estimating a loss of about 24,106 m3 of fresh water.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">A recent study, based on observations of satellite images, showed that a third of the rocky glaciers present in the area in 1955 had been removed by mining activity.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Barrick Gold: Pascua Lama Project<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><span class=\"goog-text-highlight\" style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">The best known case of glacier intervention in Chile, <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><span class=\"goog-text-highlight\" style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">in the Atacama region <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><span class=\"goog-text-highlight\" style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">, the <\/span><\/span><\/span> <span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span class=\"goog-text-highlight\" style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Barrick Gold <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span class=\"goog-text-highlight\" style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">gold extraction project <\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><span class=\"goog-text-highlight\" style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">, which during its explorations between 1981 and 2000 caused an irreversible loss of 62% of the Toro 1 glacier, and 71% of the Toro 2 glacier in the upper basin of the Huasco River.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6986\" style=\"width: 2421px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6986\" class=\"wp-image-6986 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/26204602\/1_DESTRUCCION-GLACIARES-TORO.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2411\" height=\"630\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-6986\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Intervention of Glaciares Toro y Toro 2, by Barrick Gold, in Atacama.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">The environmental permit granted to Barrick in 2005 allowed it to extract gold in <\/span><\/span><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">underground <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">exploitation <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">under the glacier area and also to deposit discard material on the largest rock glacier existing at the head of the El Estrecho river, in the Huasco basin.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Antofagasta Minerals: Faena Los Pelambres<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">In the Coquimbo region <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">, Los Pelambres mining company has been developing since 2005 an operation <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">in the upper basin of the Choapa River. In this basin, scientists identified 15 rocky glaciers between 3,500 and 3,900 meters above sea level (mostly active glaciers), of which <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">four disappeared almost completely <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">due to deposition of ballast on them (GR10, GR11, GR12, GR13), and<\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">another 2 were intervened for the construction of roads. <span class=\"goog-text-highlight\" style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">These activities were not announced in the environmental studies presented to the authority, although the existence of these glaciers was known since 1998 (Geostudios, 1998). <\/span>The interventions of the mining company between 2000 and 2006 affected permanent reservoirs of fossilized water, equivalent to a maximum of 2.84 million mt3 of fresh water, a loss that according to the University of Waterloo, was neither foreseen nor evaluated in the evaluation process. environmental.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6988\" style=\"width: 2421px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6988\" class=\"wp-image-6988 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/26204737\/2_INTERVENCION-GLACIARES-ROCOSOS.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2411\" height=\"870\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-6988\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Left: Aerial photograph from 1996, where several rocky glaciers can be seen without intervention. \/ Right: Satellite image of March 2007, where rocky glaciers were covered or removed by mining.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Codelco: Andina Division<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">In the Valpara\u00edso region, Codelco&#8217;s mining operations have impacted rocky glaciers since 1980 in the upper Aconcagua river basin, almost completely disappearing two rocky glaciers, with a total area of \u200b\u200b1.32 km2. Codelco has also intervened 0.78 km2 of rocky glaciers with the construction of ballast deposits and mining infrastructure. <span class=\"goog-text-highlight\" style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">The glaciers most affected are the Rinconada and the R\u00edo Blanco, whose tongues are found in the mine pit. <\/span>Studies in the area show that between 1991 and 2000, Codelco removed between 1 and 8 million tons of ice per year and estimated that the company would continue to intervene in glaciers at similar levels in the coming years.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7008\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-7008\" class=\"wp-image-7008 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/27175633\/3_FAENAS-MINERAS-CODELCO-Y-ANGLO-AMERICAN-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"748\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-7008\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Codelco (Andina) and Anglo American (Los Bronces) operations in the glacier zone, upper basin of the Aconcagua River, Mapocho River and Maipo River<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Anglo American: Los Bronces Mine<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><span class=\"goog-text-highlight\" style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">In the Metropolitan region, Anglo American operates the Los Bronces mine in the upper basin of the Mapocho and Olivares rivers, the latter tributary of the Maipo river, which supplies Santiago&#8217;s drinking water and irrigates more than 120 thousand hectares in the valley of the Maipo. <\/span>Between 1988 and 2005, Anglo American destroyed almost 1 km2 of glaciers in the upper basin of the San Francisco River, which feeds the Mapocho, causing a loss of between 6 and 9 million cubic meters of freshwater reserves that were stored in the glaciers. of the area.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6990\" style=\"width: 2421px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6990\" class=\"wp-image-6990 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/26205102\/4_INTERVENCION-MINA-LOS-BRONCES.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2411\" height=\"1931\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-6990\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Los Bronces Mine exploitation area and ballast deposit on Infiernillo glacier<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><span class=\"\" style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><span class=\"\" style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><span class=\"goog-text-highlight\" style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Anglo American&#8217;s impact on rocky glaciers has been widely documented, especially the ballast deposit on the Infiernillo Glacier, which has accelerated the natural advance of the glacier due to the 14 million tons of debris deposited by the mining company on its surface.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6993\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6993\" class=\"wp-image-6993 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/26210437\/IMPACTO-DE-ANGLOAMERICAN.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"426\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-6993\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">AngloAmerican&#8217;s impact on glaciers at the Los Bronces mine, in the Mapocho River basin<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><span class=\"\" style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">In the basins of the San Francisco, Dolores and El Plomo rivers there are a total of 37 rock glaciers, which cover an area of \u200b\u200b5 km2 in the three basins. <\/span>These glaciers are temperate and are in balance. But the current and projected intervention of the mining exploitation, will modify this balance.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6994\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6994\" class=\"wp-image-6994 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/26210541\/TRAZADO-TUNEL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"602\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-6994\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Layout of the 9-kilometer illegal tunnel from Los Bronces to Los Sulfatos in the Olivares River basin, (red line) Santiago Metropolitan Region<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">It is clear that the water security of Chile and in particular of Santiago, depends on the <\/span><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">protection of glaciers. For this reason and given that the Environmental Impact Assessment System has shown that it does not guarantee the protection of glaciers, as previously shown; <span class=\"goog-text-highlight\" style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">The country must move quickly on a specific regulatory framework for the protection of glaciers to support the water security of society.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_6991\" style=\"width: 1210px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-6991\" class=\"wp-image-6991 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/glaciareschilenoss3.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/26205248\/AREA-DE-GLACIARES-Y-AGUA.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"450\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-6991\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Area of \u200b\u200bglaciers intervened and water reserves lost due to mining impacts<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Glacier Law: the tortuous path to protect them<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">The development of regulatory proposals to protect glaciers in Chile was born in 2004, in the context of the Environmental Impact Assessment process of the Pascua Lama project. <span class=\"goog-text-highlight\" style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Given the fact that said mining exploitation included the removal of glaciers, a group of environmental and academic organizations, in addition to opposing the project, initiated a process of citizen advocacy to advance towards a regulation for the protection of glaciers.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">As a result of the social crisis in the country, the discussion of the climate agenda at the national level has been drastically reduced. However, the close relationship between Chile&#8217;s mitigation and adaptation challenges to climate change and local environmental problems have installed the slogan \u201cthe social crisis is also environmental\u201d. Even more intense are the demands for water, the recovery of its status as a public good.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Chile is currently at a crossroads between citizen demands and business interests. International commitments to protect water and glaciers for adaptation to climate change, and pressure from mining associations to perpetuate and expand mining extraction in glacial areas.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Check the details of this issue in the primer launched by Chile Sustentable.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Sources:<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><span class=\"goog-text-highlight\" style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Glaciers of Chile:<\/span><\/span><\/strong><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><span class=\"goog-text-highlight\" style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"> The Mining Lobby and the Tortuous Path to Protect Them, Sustainable Chile, 2020. <\/span><\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.chilesustentable.net\/publicacion\/glaciares-de-chile-el-lobby-minero-y-el-tortuoso-camino-para-protegerlos\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"><span class=\"goog-text-highlight\" style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Link<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Cover Photo:<\/span><\/strong><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\"> Los Bronces Mine Exploitation Area, Metropolitan Region, Sustainable Chile. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/@-33.1535608,-70.2873862,13.5z\/data=!5m1!1e4\"><span style=\"vertical-align: inherit;\">Link<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chile, a mountainous country, where 70% of the population is supplied with mountain water. Glaciers represent an essential and strategic public good for society, as natural reserves of fresh water in the context of global warming, allowing basic levels of water security in this adverse context.\u00a0 The IPCC forecasts in 2007 identified central Chile as [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14205,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"googlesitekit_rrm_CAow57LVCw:productID":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2675],"tags":[2955,2928,2657,2942],"coauthors":[3776],"class_list":["post-7639","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-notes","tag-antofagasta-minerals-en","tag-barrick-gold-en","tag-ipcc-en-2","tag-pascua-lama-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7639","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7639"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7639\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12992,"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7639\/revisions\/12992"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7639"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7639"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7639"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.glaciareschilenos.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=7639"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}