April 21 news, an environmental court in Chile said on Wednesday that it had ordered a re-evaluation of the Norte Abierto gold and copper mining project because of concerns that heavy traffic and increased water use might disrupt the lives of nearby indigenous communities.
The project, located in the northern part of Atacama, Chile, is a joint venture formed in 2017 by the merger of the Cerro Casale project of Barrick Gold (Barrick) and the Caspiche project of Newmont Gold (Newmont Goldcorp).
The court stated that it decided to review the joint venture because of fears that it might "significantly change" the lifestyle and customs of the Cora indigenous communities living in the Joquila Valley and its tributaries.
"there is a clear overlap between this project and the land and activities of the Cora community," Judge Mauricio Oviedo wrote in a statement accompanying the decision.
Oviedo added that the project is "highly likely" to cause disruption to indigenous communities because it is located in their territories, where they conduct activities such as seasonal grazing and herbal collection.
The, Norte Abierto integrated project was approved in 2019 following the submission of an environmental impact statement.
But the court said the projects required more extensive research, including the drilling of 334 boreholes and the construction of roads on ancestral land.
According to the company's data, the, Norte Abierto project has proven reserves of 23.2 million ounces of gold and 5.8 billion pounds of copper.
The company has previously said it would merge these projects into a new environmental impact study after updating the geological model.
