Albemarle fined for lithium brine over-extraction in Salar de Atacama

Chile's First Environmental Court has upheld a fine against the mining company Albemarle for environmental violations in the Salar de Atacama. The penalty, totaling approximately 4 billion pesos (roughly US$4.18 million), confirms sanctions previously imposed by the Superintendencia del Medio Ambiente (SMA).

The court ruled that Albemarle committed two major infractions related to brine extraction between 2019 and 2021. First, the company exceeded its authorized annual extraction limit, pumping an average of 452.3 liters per second against a permitted limit of 442 liters per second. This resulted in the extraction of over 324,000 cubic meters of brine above the allowed volume.

Second, the company failed to comply with its Early Warning Plan. After an environmental alert was triggered in February 2021 to detect changes in the aquifer system, Albemarle failed to reduce pumping as required. The necessary reduction in extraction did not begin until April, leading to an additional over-extraction of approximately 639,517 cubic meters during February and March.

The Salar de Atacama is a highly sensitive endorheic basin and a critical ecosystem for high-Andean species and local communities. Authorities emphasize that strict control over lithium extraction is vital to maintaining the hydrological balance of these salt flats.