In a recent turn of events, local communities in Peru are up in arms against the proposed expansion of the Las Bambas mine, raising concerns over environmental damage and lack of consultation.
Sarah Sax reports for Mongabay.
In short:
- The Las Bambas mine in Peru seeks to expand, risking water contamination and environmental damage, with communities criticizing the lack of detailed impact studies.
- A consortium of local organizations has called for the Peruvian government to nullify the mine's latest environmental amendment, threatening to escalate the situation.
- The mine's expansion proposal lacks clarity on its environmental impact, particularly on local water sources, leaving communities worried and seeking more inclusive consultation processes.
Key quote:
“A lot of the success in blocking projects has happened by making them politically infeasible, especially the Peruvian case, because of massive protests."
— Maiah Jaskoski, political scientist at Northern Arizona University
Why this matters:
Many Peruvians living in mining regions face a paradox: the wealth extracted from beneath their homes improves national economic indicators, yet often does not translate into improved living conditions for them. Instead, they grapple with health problems, loss of agricultural land, and conflicts over water rights.
Copper mining in the U.S. largely came to a halt in the late 1960s, as profits plummeted from labor issues and the need to plunge deeper into the Earth for the metals.
