Salinas residents protest lithium mining water permit

Residents of Salinas, in northern Minas Gerais, held a protest on September 7 against an authorization granted to the mining company PLS Brasil Mineração to extract water from the Salinas Dam. The permit, issued by the Instituto Mineiro de Gestão das Águas (Igam), allows the company to withdraw approximately 150,000 liters per hour to supply its Mineral Treatment Unit at the Colina Project for lithium processing.

The local community, organized under the Movimento Popular de Preservação das Águas da Barragem de Salinas, argues that the reservoir is vital for municipal water supply and local producers, especially given the region's history of severe droughts and the current impact of El Niño. Protesters are seeking to be formally recognized as interested parties in the permit process to legally challenge the authorization.

Organizers noted that over 1,700 people signed a petition against the water extraction during the demonstration. Local leaders and specialists have held public debates to discuss the long-term consequences of lithium mining in the semi-arid region.