Environmental concerns rise in Catamarca amid mining expansion

Local producers, indigenous communities, and socio-environmental assemblies in Catamarca are denouncing soil degradation and contamination caused by accelerated mining activities. Critics argue that the removal of vegetation and massive earthmoving required for operations are leading to erosion, salinization, and the accumulation of toxins in the soil.

Territorial leaders warn that the disposal of sterile material, acid drainage, and brine evaporation are altering the chemical composition of the land, making grazing and subsistence agriculture impossible near mining sites. There are also significant concerns regarding potential leaks of effluents and hydrocarbons from tailings dams.

Altiplano communities have accused the provincial government of opacity, noting that the Provincial Directorate of Mining Environmental Management does not publish soil analyses or allow citizen participation in technical inspections. In response to the lack of ministerial feedback, community collectives are preparing legal actions to demand mandatory remediation and the precautionary suspension of new permits.