Peruvian Regional Council seeks ban on all mining
Published by MAC on 2010-03-31Source: Dow Jones
The Regional Council of Cusco, Peru, has prohibited mining activities in its department, arguing that a lot of the farming territory, now being taken over by mining firms, will be at environmental risk.
The Council fears that citizens will be displaced from their land and lose their crops, while there will be irreversible changes to their "natural spaces".
Currently, 49 mining projects are afoot in Cusco with three more, valued at $2,636 million, to be launched between 2011 and 2013: Xstrata's Antapaccay, Norsemont´s Constancia and Minera Quechua.
The Council's decision, backed by the regional president, will be reviewed by the central government over coming days.
Peru Ministry Examines Cusco Council's Mining-Claims Ban - Report
Dow Jones
25 March 2010
LIMA -- Peru's energy and mining ministry is looking into the legal basis for a decision by the regional council of Cusco to prohibit allowing any new mining claims, according to a newspaper report Thursday.
Cusco holds Peru's second-largest reserves of silver and molybdenum, its sixth- largest copper reserves, and the country's eighth-largest gold reserves, said Peru's mining ministry earlier this month.
The mining ministry statement also said that only 1% of the region was currently being mined and explored.
Cusco's regional council passed the order for environmental reasons, said newspaper Gestion, adding that the council said it will now allow only agricultural and tourism projects.
No one was immediately available at the Energy and Mining Ministry to comment.