Argentina approves Milei’s glacier mining bill amid environmental protests | Argentina
Argentina’s congress approved a bill promoted by libertarian President Javier Milei that allows mining in ecologically sensitive areas of glaciers and permafrost, outraged environmentalists.
The amendment to the “glacier law”, already approved by the Senate in February, would facilitate the mining of metals such as copper, lithium and silver in frozen areas of the Andes.
The Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of Argentina’s Congress, approved the amendment by 137 votes in favor, 111 against and three abstentions after nearly 12 hours of debate. Environmentalists say the law changes will weaken protections for crucial water sources.
Thousands of people demonstrated outside Parliament on Wednesday in a demonstration marked by isolated clashes with police. Some held banners with slogans such as “Water is more precious than gold!” » and “A destroyed glacier cannot be restored!”
Seven Greenpeace activists were arrested earlier today after climbing a statue outside Parliament and unfurling a banner urging lawmakers “not to betray the Argentine people.”
The passage of the amendment is another coup for Milei, who pushed through looser labor laws in February despite repeated street protests. Nicolás Mayoraz, a lawmaker from Milei’s ruling La Libertad Avanza party, assured lawmakers that combining “environmental protection and sustainable development is possible.”
Environmental activist Flavia Broffoni said after the protest: “The science is clear… there is absolutely no possibility of creating what they call a ‘sustainable mine’ in a periglacial environment. »
There are nearly 17,000 glaciers or rock glaciers, a mixture of rock and ice, in Argentina, according to a 2018 inventory. In the northwest, where mining is concentrated, glacial reserves have declined by 17% over the past decade, mainly due to climate change, according to the Argentine Institute of Snow Research, Glaciology and Environmental Sciences.
Milei, a radical liberal who doesn’t believe in human-caused climate change, says the bill is needed to attract large-scale mining projects. Argentina is a major producer of lithium, essential to the global technology and green energy sectors.
Argentina’s Central Bank has estimated, based on industry forecasts, that the country could triple its mining exports by 2030. Milei argued that: “Environmentalists would rather see us starve than touch anything.” »
Supporters of the bill argued that it would clear up ambiguities in existing law, dating from 2010, that periglacial zones — areas at the edge of glaciers — could be economically developed. “We want legal certainty, we want clear definitions,” said Michael Meding, general manager of the Los Azules copper mining project in San Juan province.
Enrique Viale, president of the Argentine Association of Environmental Lawyers, said the change in legislation threatened the water supply of 70% of Argentines.
According to the law in force, a scientific body designates protected glaciers and periglacial environments. The new legislation would give each province more power to decide which areas need protection and which can be exploited for economic gain.
He was supported by the governors of the northern Andean provinces with a significant mining sector, namely Mendoza, San Juan, Catamarca and Salta.
