Overview
- Lawmakers granted initial approval to four measures under Law 7722, including the PSJ Cobre Mendocino environmental impact declaration, a new royalties regime, an Environmental Compensation Fund and rules for the Malargüe mining district.
- The Peronist interblock voted against the PSJ permit but supported most of the other bills, exposing a split that ruling leaders publicly criticized.
- Researchers at Conicet Mendoza say an institutional statement critical of PSJ was posted and then removed, prompting censorship complaints, while pro-mining legislators argued Conicet had already participated in and endorsed the technical review through the CEIAM.
- Provincial and national business groups, including CAMEM, CAEM and the Mendoza Stock Exchange, welcomed the vote and framed it as a step toward legal certainty to attract investment.
- Project filings cite about US$559 million in total investment and roughly 40,000 tonnes per year of copper concentrate, with plans for closed-circuit water use that recycles about 90%, an estimated 141 l/s draw from Arroyo El Tigre against a 314 l/s average flow, flotation processing and thickened tailings, and a projected construction start in the second half of 2026 if remaining approvals are secured.