“We’re all convinced that looking after the environment is a central pillar of development,” federal Mining Undersecretary Fernanda Avila said in an interview at a mining conference in Toronto. “What we’re debating and discussing is how the wetlands law can go through without putting mining projects at risk.”
Some versions of the legislation classify Argentina’s lithium-rich Andean salt flats, a growing magnet for international miners and battery makers, as wetland areas because of the vast saline pools beneath the surface. Governors of the country’s three main lithium provinces have voiced strong concerns that a law would therefore impede exploration for the metal.
The federal government is working with the provinces and an industry group representing miners to make sure that doesn’t happen, Avila said.
The government is also trying to convince miners that Argentina is ripe for long-term investments after piecemeal policies to address the country’s restrictions on money flows and export taxes fell short."
No need to stress IMO
