Achieving increasingly green and sustainable mining is the national objective that, together with other projects, such as carbon neutrality, have taken center stage in the Chilean industrial scene. Hence, various agencies such as Sernageomin, SMA and the DGA, have developed multiple initiatives in the area of control to ensure proper handling and treatment of waste associated with mining, considering the last advance in January of this year with the new “General instruction for environmental monitoring of the water component in relation to tailings deposits”.

This regulation establishes that, until July 28th, 2022, mining companies that have not started with their closure plan for tailings under 100 million tons, must register them. This in order to establish a common monitoring standard at a national level with emphasis on the "water" component to monitor the physical and chemical stability of the facilities using the latest available computer technologies, and applies to all those deposits that comply with the condition of having started their deposit and not having started the execution of their closure plan, and simultaneously have at least one favorable Environmental Qualification Resolution (RCA).

Once the process is finished, they can then proceed to contact specialized companies, as in this case with Hidronor, that can help them during the inspection process in the event that deviations are found in the parameters that must be solved in a specific sector or places where the contaminated water has drained and has caused damage to surfaces.

“To carry out a correct land remediation contaminated by surface or underground spills of mine tailings, product of the chemical instability of the water contained in them, we carry out a survey of the location taking samples and analyzing the concentrations as heavy metals, for example, in order to propose the best possible confinement or sanitation alternative, and develop an action plan for on-site treatment if requested”, highlights Denisse Triviños, Hidronor's Commercial Deputy Manager.

With specialized companies of this type and meeting the deadlines established by the SMA, mining companies then have a clear picture to start developing the required good practices, which are expected to prosper very soon and contribute to the environmental sustainability that is hoped for.