From yesterday until mid-April, three technical informational meetings and two public hearings will be held to learn details about the reactivation of Minera Alumbrera, the historic copper and gold project that will resume operations after nearly ten years of closure and is positioned as the transition toward the integrated project with Agua Rica.
By Panorama Minero
The Ministry of Mining of Catamarca established the Citizen Participation schedule for the Environmental Impact Report of Minera Alumbrera in its ninth update, within the framework of the reactivation announced in December last year. Glencore announced the restart of operations at Minera Alumbrera by the end of 2026. To this end, the first of three technical informational meetings and two public hearings began yesterday, and the case files are available for consultation on the website of the Catamarca mining authority.
The first of these meetings took place yesterday, Monday, March 30, in the department of Santa María, with additional sessions scheduled in the city of Belén and in Andalgalá. This first meeting was held at 5:00 PM in the San Agustín Hall in Santa María. The second has taken place today, Tuesday the 31st, in Belén at 9:00 AM at the Municipal Sports Center; and the third will be held the following week, on Monday, April 6, at the Racing Club in Andalgalá.
These meetings are part of the Citizen Participation schedule authorized by the Ministry of Mining on March 19. To access the information, interested parties can find the updated Environmental Impact Report on the Catamarca Government website, under the Ministry of Mining and the “Open Processes” section. The file can also be consulted in person at the Mining Environmental Control Centers (CCMA) in Belén, Santa María, and Andalgalá (where technical staff from DiPGAM and the company are available), as well as at the offices of the Provincial Directorate of Mining Environmental Management (DiPGAM) located at Sarmiento 981 in the capital of Catamarca. Regardless of the technical meetings, the documentation will be available for consultation until Thursday, April 30, from Monday to Friday between 9:00 AM–1:00 PM and 4:00 PM–7:00 PM.
The Citizen Participation schedule also includes an interinstitutional inspection of the project, involving the Ministries of Mining; Water, Energy and Environment; and Culture and Tourism, along with municipalities and the community. This will take place on Tuesday, April 7, and Wednesday, April 8.
Public hearings
The most important stage of community participation will be the public hearings. For now, it is confirmed that the first will take place on Thursday, April 16, in Hualfín, department of Belén. However, the Ministry confirmed last week that a second hearing will be held in the departmental capital of Andalgalá, following a formal request by that municipality. In this case, the date, time, and venue are still to be defined and included in the public schedule.
The project
Bajo de la Alumbrera, a pioneering project in Argentina and Catamarca, began its mine closure process in 2018, and this reactivation responds to an international improvement in copper prices.
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