The charges come as the regulator’s regional office concluded an investigation that links the sinkhole on the Alcaparrosa mine’s property with ore overextraction.
“In addition, when the event occurred, large amounts of water began to leak into the mine from places where the company intervened beyond what was considered in the environmental assessment,” SMA’s superintendent Emanuel Ibarra said in the statement.
“In addition, when the event occurred, large amounts of water began to leak into the mine from places where the company intervened beyond what was considered in the environmental assessment,” Ibarra added.
The discovery of the 36.5-metre-diameter (120 feet) crater in Chile’s northern Atacama region grabbed headlines around the world and fuelled speculation about possible causes.
Following the immediate halt of operations at Alcaparrosa, the SMA issued “urgent and transitory” measures while authorities…
