Here’s the link to the Reuters report on what Peru’s Minister of Energy and Mining, Rosa María Ortiz, said to press today about Southern Copper (SCCO) and its Tia Maria project, and here’s a segment:
(Reuters) – Peru’s energy and mines minister said on Friday that the government could ask Southern Copper Corp to make additional changes to its $1.4 billion Tia Maria project after protests by farmers turned deadly this week.
Rosa Maria Ortiz said the government was focused on negotiations with the project’s opponents, who fear it will pollute surrounding agricultural valleys in the southern region of Arequipa.
One protester died from a bullet wound during clashes with police on Wednesday as a month-long protest spread in the region.
The government could ask for more modifications to the project’s environmental impact study if it felt it was necessary, Ortiz said.
“Every environmental impact study is improveable,” Ortiz said at a press conference with foreign media.
Let us be clear about this: SCCO has a 100% approved and permitted Environment Impact Study and according to the letter of the law, it doesn’t have to submit to any “additional changes”, “modifications” or any other “improveables” if it doesn’t want to. In other words, Peru’s Minister of Mining is talking about rescinding the EIA. That’s what she said today, no more no less, all the rest is funny wordgames and diplo-talk.
PS: A pity the reporters present at that presser didn’t realize what she meant, they might have then asked the right follow-up question.