Chilean state copper producer Codelco considers Andina to be one of its most important projects for the future, but it has been heavily criticised. As BNamericas reports, it has introduced changes to the $6.8 billion Andina 244 project in order to move the environmental permit application forward. The company has submitted an addendum to its original environmental impact study (EIS).

Andina 244 seeks to give a second life to the Andina division in central Chile by adding 350,000t/y of fine copper production.

The project has been heavily criticised by NGOs and legislators over fears it will have a negative impact on the area’s glaciers and water resources, which serve the country’s most populated region.

The company took a year to respond to the more than 2,000 observations and comments submitted during the environmental evaluation process by residents, NGOs and public entities.

“We’ve worked for more than a year to consider each of the observations we received. We held dozens of meetings; listened to community representatives, officials and experts,” said VP of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs René Aguilar. “We now have a better project, with more information and new measures that take charge of some of the main concerns and reduce the project’s impact on its surroundings.”

Codelco’s interim VP of Projects, Gerhard von Borries, said the modifications include changes to the mine’s open-pit design to reduce the number of affected glaciers to five.

Other aspects included in the addendum are a permanent monitoring system to track the glaciers throughout the 65-year planned lifespan of Andina 244, and a new modeling study to evaluate the impact of dust on the area.

Von Borries said the project will reuse two thirds of its planned water consumption, and improve the quality of the water in Blanco river through two water treatment plants that are to be built.

Before being pushed out, former Codelco CEO Thomas Keller had said Andina 244 was a difficult project. “[It] entails a number of complexities in the environmental and community dimensions,” Keller said in December, adding that nonetheless it is a critical project that is located near Codelco’s largest reserves.