Kinross Gold Corp to fight shut-down of Chilean mine, says it didn’t cause low water level

TORONTO – Kinross Gold Corp. says it’ll mount a legal defence of its Maricunga mine in Chile, which faces the loss of its water source inside a drought-ridden area of the country if an environmental regulator gets its way.

The Toronto-based company says a stop by groundwater levels in the region is unrelated to the mining operation, which it says relies solely on water from wells within the Pantanillo area within the Atacama Region.

“Kinross desires to also underscore that the Atacama region has experienced a protracted drought for many years, resulting in a drop in groundwater levels over the region that’s unrelated to (Maricunga’s) operations,” it said inside a statement.

Related

Kinross Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd report lower Q2 earnings but maintain financial strengthGold miner Kinross Gold Corp reports big quarterly loss but offers solid 2016 guidance

It says its Maricunga subsidiary and the regulator SMA want environmentally friendly Tribunal in Santiago to deal with the problem and render its decision with an expedited basis.

Meanwhile, the mine is constantly on the operate normally.

Kinross says it’s dedicated to responsible environmental management and has spent years studying, understanding and limiting the impact of their water use.