Coyhaique, 4 November 2011
- The document addresses 141 queries and observations made by relevant government services in the third ICSARA published in July 2011.
- The company stressed its commitment to providing further information to the authorities and the public to ensure all stakeholders have a full understanding of the project.
Coyhaique, 4 November 2011
Energía Austral has submitted a third Addendum for the Cuervo Hydroelectric Plant to the environmental authorities in the Region of Aysen to address the 141 queries and observations detailed in the third ICSARA published in July by the Environmental Assessment Service.
The new Addendum describes in greater detail Energía Austral’s mitigation and compensation plan for the project and is a further step in the environmental assessment process for the Cuervo Plant in line with standing legislation.
The plan includes new voluntary measures to increase tourism in the Commune of Aysen, such as the development of tourism and recreation infrastructure on land belonging to Energia Austral at Bahia Acantilada as well as the creation and operation of a tourism information office for a period of ten years, explained the company’s Environment Manager, Cristián Núñez.
Following this latest step in the environmental approval process, Energia Austral’s General Manager Alberto Quiñones said he was satisfied with the work carried out to date.
“Our team of experts and consultants worked hard to present this Addendum ahead of schedule and we believe that it includes the information required to adequately address the questions raised by the environmental authorities.”
The Environmental Impact Study for the Cuervo Hydroelectric Project was submitted to the Environmental Assessment System in August 2009. Since then the company has continued to provide further information and clarification about the mitigation and compensatory measures proposed by the project.
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Energía Austral Contacts
ABOUT ENERGÍA AUSTRAL (www.energiaaustral.cl)
Energía Austral is a subsidiary of Xstrata Copper which is developing three hydroelectric projects in the Commune of Aysén, Cuervo, Cóndor and Blanco, and a transmission line that will transport the energy generated to the Central Interconnected System. Energía Austral has offices in Puerto Aysén, Coyhaique and Santiago.
ABOUT XSTRATA COPPER (www.xstratacopper.com)
Xstrata Copper is the fourth largest global copper producer with attributable mined production in 2010 of 913,500 tonnes of copper in cathodes and concentrates. The company is also one of the world’s largest producers of smelter and refined copper, including from third party materials.
Headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, Xstrata Copper is one of the commodity business units within the major global diversified mining group Xstrata plc. Its mining and metallurgical operations and development projects span eight countries: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Peru, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and the USA. Its operations and projects are administered through a regional divisional management structure, which ensures that critical decisions are taken close to the related businesses. It also has a recycling business (Xstrata Recycling) with plants in the United States and offices in Canada and Asia.