The provincial legislature approved amendments to the law with 36 votes in favor, 11 against, one abstained and one absence in the lower house, and 28 votes in favor and 7 against in the upper house. The proposal was submitted by the Governor of Mendoza Rodolfo Suarez.
The modified law allows the use of cyanide and sulfuric acid in mining, but prohibits the use of mercury. He also asks the company to submit an environmental impact assessment related to water resources and a general environmental impact assessment, which includes reports from municipal authorities, the General Directorate of Irrigation, the Argentine Institute of Snow Hydrology, Ice and Environmental Sciences, as well as other institutions.
Mendoza has 19 mine proposals awaiting approval. Most of them focus on copper mining, but there are also projects to develop gold, silver, lead, zinc and uranium.
According to the Mendoza Chamber of Mines, amending the law will allow the resumption of the mining sector, which in turn will lead to a transfer of resources worth $ 349.2 million.
