Chilean indigenous communities challenge potassium salts project in Salar de Atacama

The Peine and Toconao indigenous communities filed legal actions before Chile's First Environmental Court to overturn a ministerial resolution that had reversed the environmental rejection of the "Planta de Producción de Sales de Potasio, SLM NX Uno de Peine" project. They argue the Committee of Ministers exceeded its authority by deciding on hydrogeological matters that should be handled by the National Geology and Mining Service, and that the assessment relied on outdated 2009 data, failing to address current groundwater risks.

Both communities seek precautionary measures to suspend any construction, especially works linked to Sectorial Environmental Permit No. 88, while the court reviews additional technical evidence. The court has asked the other parties to submit further information before ruling on the requested safeguards. The project, entered into the Environmental Impact Assessment system in 2009, involves an investment of about US$43 million, a 20‑year lifespan, and aims to produce up to 200,000 tonnes of potassium chloride annually from brine salts in the Salar de Atacama.