"Global miner BHP faces water use lawsuit brought by Chilean state," 15 April 2020

A Chilean environmental court said... it would investigate a complaint brought by the government against global miner BHP over allegations of damage to the northern Punta Negra salt flat.

The First Environmental Court... of Antofagasta, said the complaint was brought by the State Defense Council against BHP. The complaint described "continuous, cumulative, permanent and irreparable environmental damage" to the salt flat..

BHP did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment.

The lawsuit said BHP's extraction of water to service its Escondida copper mine... caused a "severe decline" in the levels of the salt flat's acquifer, "partially or totally" caused the loss of wetlands and vegetation and compromised the survival of its fauna.

The state complaint alleged that BHP had the necessary environment approvals to operate the salt flat but none of these adequately considered the "significant impacts" on its water levels, or sought to mitigate them.