News: BHP Chilean State sues BHP, Antofagasta mines over Atacama water use

Chile's state is suing mines operated by BHP (BHP) , Antofagasta ANTO.L and Albemarle ALB.N over alleged environmental damage caused by their operations in the northern Salar de Atacama salt flats, a court said late on Thursday.

The State Defense Council (CDE) launched its legal action in the environmental court over the pace of extraction from the Monturaqui-Negrillar-Tilopozo aquifer, an important source of ground water, it said had impacted the fragile ecosystem.

Increased exploitation "caused serious, permanent and irreparable deterioration of the aquifer, of the Tilopozo plains, of the fauna, and of the life systems and customs of the Peine Indigenous Community," the First Environmental Court said, citing the lawsuit.

"The extraction of various amounts of water by the sued mining companies would have caused damage that was foreseeable, since they were aware of the maximum limit of descent that the aquifer could have."

The mining companies did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Chile's leftist President Gabriel Boric has made environmental protection a key focus of his administration, including rights over water, since taking office in March.

The CDE, a state body answerable to Boric, is demanding that the environmental damage be made good and that the mining firms take steps to ensure such events are not repeated.

The Monturaqui-Negrillar-Tilopozo aquifer has been used for decades by Antofagasta's Zaldívar mine, by lithium miner Albemarle and the huge Escondida mine-controlled by BHP.