By Lucila Sigal
BUENOS AIRES, April 9 (Reuters) – Lawmakers in Argentina approved a government-backed reform on Thursday that aims to promote mining investment in glacier regions, a step environmentalists and scientists have said would weaken protections and threaten water resources.
The Chamber of Deputies passed the reform 137-111, with 3 abstentions. The law takes effect once it is published in the official gazette.
Pushed by libertarian President Javier Milei’s government, the reform drew controversy for allowing provinces to set their own glaciers and periglacial protection standards. This shift, critics say, could undermine safeguards for high-altitude ice formations that serve as key freshwater reserves.
Opposition lawmakers accused authorities of censorship, saying just 0.3% of more than 100,000 applicants were allowed to speak against the measures at public hearings.
LAW AIMED AT PROTECTING WATER RESERVES
Since 2010, legislation has barred mining and industrial activity in these areas and set minimum standards to protect water reserves.
Governors of major mining provinces and companies say the reform clarifies rules for investment and could position Argentina as a key copper and lithium supplier for the energy transition.
Domestic scientists say the reform is driven by economic and political interests, while environmental groups argue it favors large-scale mining projects over environmental protections.
The University of Buenos Aires raised concern about the reform in February, urging “unified scientific criteria, backed by technical expertise.”
‘A MATTER OF HAVING BOTH’
“It’s not a matter of choosing between the environment and development, but of having both,” Roberto Cacciola, president of Argentina’s CAEM mining chamber, said at a recent congressional hearing.
Milei’s government has granted tax, currency and legal incentives to mining companies, attracting companies such as Glencore and BHP.
The 2010 law protects nearly 17,000 ice bodies in the Andes mountains, spanning 8,484 square km (3,276 square miles). The Patagonian border with Chile contains some of the region’s largest ice fields.
(Reporting by Lucila Sigal, additional reporting by Gnaneshwar Rajan; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
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