From what I can tell there are only two enivironmental cases...

From what I can tell there are only two enivironmental cases with claims against proyecto blanco. The cases are 85-2023 with the first environmental court and 333-2022 with the second environmental court. There were 4 new ones with the second environmental court but they all got rolled into case 333-2022.

As for more information about the 333-2022 case. Prior to the 4 new cases in the second environmental court, case 333-2022 had claims that the hydro logic model and the clay core aspect were wrong or not studied sufficiently. But the 4 new cases mostly just argue that there is an apparent contradiction between the proyecto blanco hydrologic model and the hydrologic model used by "Proyecto Sales de Maricunga” run by simco (not codelco like i said in my previous post). The claimants argue that this contradiction lies in the fact that the proyecto blanco hydrologic model includes a clay core aspect while the simco hydrologic model does not. On the surface this argument might seem concerning but from what I can tell there are good reasons to think it is not concerning really at all. First I am pretty sure the clay core runs east two west and slopes down towards the south. Proyecto blanco has its properties in the north on top of the clay core. Simco has its properties in the south area where there may not be any clay core as i am pretty sure that structure is limited to the norhern region and runs east west. So if that is the case then there is nothing wrong and there is no contradiction. Also im pretty sure simco does not have a completed RCA and they are still working with the sea to get a finalized RCA.
So its easy to see how both projects could use different hydrologic models and still have no contradictions. Anyways seems like we might get a update next week and if the status of the case is correct then the week after that we might get confirmation that the case is over.

Here are some figures and quotes from the recent filings in the case. There is a lot more information in the case i just thought the blow information might be worth sharing.

In point 13 of the aforementioned report (Page 153 of the aforementioned annex), when dealing with the "Hydrogeological dynamics on the margins of the salt flat" (page 153), it is indicated that in the northeast sector of the salt flat "Already on the surface, there is a hydrogeological disconnection between the Upper Halite unit inside the Salar, with the vega-bofedal system (sand and black clay unit) product of the presence of the Clay Core unit, which presents very low permeability. It is also interesting to note the potential disconnection of the deeper system with the vega-bofedal system due to the very presence of the Clay Core unit. Therefore, any deep pumping within the Salar is expected to have little transmission to the surface due to the presence of the Clay Core."


Figure 2. Scheme of operation of the Hydrogeological System in the Salar de Maricunga Source: Conceptual Hydrogeological Model Report Salar de Maricunga EIA “Proyecto Blanco” (Page 151)


Figure 3. Location of hydrogeological units in the Salar de Maricunga aquifer Source: Salar de Maricunga Conceptual Hydrogeological Model Report EIA “Proyecto Blanco” (Page 151)

Finally, the report that gives an account of the hydrogeological model of the "White Project" concludes that: "Based on the information from 39 wells carried out as part of the Project, and from third-party wells, a Superior Halite unit (UH-1 ) with a maximum thickness of 30 m, which is surrounded by a Clay Core with thick intercalations of gravel and sand. Laterally, this unit engages with alluvial deposits that can be observed on the surface throughout the entire length of the Salar (UH-2), and that in some cases continue in depth under the Salar (UH-4), separating from the Upper Halite unit through the Clay Core unit (UH-3) that defines two separate hydrogeological domains...Below this unit, the UH-3 -Clay Core unit presents significantly lower permeabilities, with a regional maximum of 0.01 m/d (with isolated horizons of 0.1 to 11 m/d), with the presence of compact clayey levels that inhibit vertical flow, and disconnect the groundwater of the Upper Halite with the alluvial and lower Volcanoclastic units (UH-4). These deposits have generally low permeabilities, with a maximum of 1 m/d, but specific yields that are not less, up to 15%. The hydraulic operation of this unit is of the confined type, due to the presence of clay units (UH-3) that confine the system... The hydrogeological configuration on the edges of the Salar de Maricunga causes the discharge of groundwater, feeding systems of lowlands and wetlands, generating surface channels and brine lagoons that, due to the presence of the Clay Core, are disconnected from the groundwater system of the Salar” (the one highlighted in our).



From this figure incorporated by the licensee to the EIA, it is identified that in the Production Wells sector, in the Core of the salt flat, the wells are located: P1 -P2 -P3 -P4 -C2 -C4 -C5 -C6 - S-6 and S-8

In addition, according to the information used to build the profiles (stratigraphy), there are no wells in those areas that can validate the proponent's interpretation of the characteristics and behavior of the "clay core". The Licensee justifies the presence of this unit with three boreholes carried out in the center of the Salar core (S-10, P-1 and P-3), with no evidence of its existence in the northwestern limit of the core, let alone from its outcrop on the surface as shown in the following figure.


Figure 5. Source: Annex 4.4 EIA "White Project", pg. 61N-S section showing the distribution of geological unitsFinally, it should be noted that the licensee did not present information on the S-10 well that was used to define Profile A-A, which prevents its validity from being verified