Codelco halts Andina mine as tailings spill threaten river
The company has shut its mine concentrator as authorities investigate a spill and water utility activates backup supplies.
Chile's state-owned copper company, Codelco, has temporarily halted processing at its Andina mine following a potential tailings spill that may have reached the Blanco River in central Valparaíso. The incident occurred in the Rápido RV4 sector of the Río Blanco canyon, where an obstruction was discovered in the tailings transport system, causing a partial release of tailings that may have entered the river.
Codelco activated all emergency protocols, including shutting down the concentrator plant and suspending tailings transport, to ensure the safety of drinking water supplies. The company is conducting continuous river monitoring and water quality analyses to assess any downstream environmental impact, though the extent remains unknown.
Andina, one of Codelco's major copper operations, combines underground and open-pit mining to produce copper and molybdenum. The company has not specified when processing operations may resume. This tailings spill has raised concerns about the potential contamination of waterways connected to the Aconcagua River basin, a crucial source of water for central Chilean communities.
Environmental groups, like Chilean lawmaker Francisca Bello, have called for an investigation into the cause and environmental consequences of the incident.
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