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Article

17 Jan 2014

Author:
Alexandra Ulmer and Fabian Cambero - Reuters

Chile's environment lawyers say they're just warming up

Chile's leading environmental lawyers, who have helped stall around $30 billion in mining and energy projects, say the battle is only just beginning - and copper investments are poised to come under increasing fire this year. In a significant shift for business-friendly Chile, empowered social groups are successfully suing massive projects over threats to glaciers, health, indigenous rights and biodiversity. Power projects have so far fared the worst, but…lawyers Alvaro Toro and Lorenzo Soto say many communities are now turning up the heat on mining in the world's top copper producer…"Projects are increasingly being set up in fragile places. People's opposition is completely rational," he said on Friday. [Refers to Codelco, MPX (part of EBX), Barrick Gold, BHP Billiton, Teck Resources, JX Nippon Mining & Metals (part of Nippon Mining), Minera Los Pelambres (joint venture of Luksic Group, Nippon LP Investment and MM LP Holding), AES Gener and CCU]…