A mysterious hole of 36.5 meters 120 feet in diameter that emerged in late July has provoked the mobilization of local authorities and led the mining regulator Sernageomin to suspend operations of a nearby mine owned by Canada's Lundin in the northern district of Candelaria.
In a press release, Marcela Hernando stated that fines tend to be insignificant and that the ruling must be exemplary to mining companies, and that we are going to go all the way with consequences, not just fine.
Chilean authorities haven't provided any details of the investigation into the cause of the sinkhole.
Local and foreign media showed various aerial images of the huge hole in a field near the Lundin Mining operation, about 665 kilometers 413 miles north of the Chilean capital. The hole, near the town of Tierra Amarilla, measured about 25 meters 82 feet across, with water visible at the bottom.
The Canadian firm owns 80% of the property, while the remaining 20% is in the hands of Japan's Sumitomo Metal Mining Co Ltd and Sumitomo Corp. The minister said that although the country's mining regulators had carried out an inspection in July, it was not able to detect the over-exploitation. She said that it makes us think that we have to reformulate what our inspection processes are. Lundin said the over-exploitation referred to by the minister had been duly reported. We want to be emphatic that this hypothesis as reported by Sernageomin has not been determined as the direct cause of the sinkhole. The hydrogeological and mining studies will provide the answers we are looking for today, Lundin said. The unusual rainfall recorded during the month of July is relevant, according to Lundin, which is being investigated for different events that could have caused the sinkhole.