Overview
- The in-person hearing concluded on August 7 and the virtual phase started August 8 with 1,380 speakers scheduled to present via Zoom.
- Seventy percent of in-person participants voiced support for the PSJ Cobre Mendocino copper mine during six days of testimony in Uspallata.
- The Autoridad Ambiental Minera has up to 15 days to review all transcripts before deciding to approve, reject or conditionally approve the project under Argentina’s Law 7.722.
- Any approval must be ratified by the Mendoza Legislature, giving lawmakers the final say on the mine’s environmental impact declaration.
- Backers cite a US$559 million investment to build a facility with an 18–24 month construction timeline and 16-year mine life targeting 40,000 tons of copper annually while critics warn of threats to water resources and a risk of turning Uspallata into a “sacrifice zone.”