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.
The measure is expected to generate $165 billion in exports by 2035 and create thousands of jobs, Economy Minister Luis Caputo said on X. “Some provinces will be changed forever.”
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.
“Attempts by foreign organizations to interfere failed, and environmentalists determined to block the progress of the Argentine Republic were defeated once again,” Milei said in a statement hailing the approval of the reform.
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’
“Having rules that define environmental protection criteria and evaluation processes helps create the right conditions for investment and development,” the mining chamber of San Juan province, home to major copper projects, said Thursday.
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 and Aida Pelaez-Fernandez; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Chizu Nomiyama)
