Mining News

Province of San Juan
Law No. 8.144, passed by the House of Representatives of the Province of San Juan on 07/14/2010 (published in the Official Bulletin on 07/15/2010)
It has the objective to protect those glaciers that are found in the San Juan Province, in order to preserve their strategic reserve function as hydro resources and water suppliers from hydrographical basins. It prohibits any activity that implicates the destruction or movement of those glaciers included in the Glacier Provincial Inventory, as well as interfering with its expansion, affecting its function as a strategic reserve of water resources. In which, every case will be determined by the corresponding evaluation of specific environmental impact of those activities that could harm glaciers.
 
Province of Chubut
Decree No. 952/2010, enacted by the Governor of the Province of Chubut on 07/06/2010 (published in the Official Bulletin on 07/15/2010)
It modifies the duties, functions and requirements of the Economy and Mining Production Department Chief Officer under the control of the General Bureau of Mining and Geology of the Secretary of Hydrocarbons and Mining. The duties of this public officer are the following:
(i) administration and control of rates and mining canons according to the enforced legislation; (ii) to do economic evaluations over the mining projects, (iii) to organize and manage  basic information of the mining companies with economic and environmental performance indicators. Risk-limiting determination. His functions will be: (a) to produce an assessment of the information for the provincial mining statistic and a diagnosis of the sector, crossing it with the Mineral Transportation Guide; (b) to administrate the Registry of Mining Producers; (c) to control that the canon payment of the mining concessions are complied with and administrate expiry dates, in assistance with the Management Department; (d) to follow the economic performance indicators of the mining companies in the province; (f) economic assessment of mining projects; (g) on October 20 he will elevate, to the Mining Services Director, a license plan of the personnel under his command, in three copies, delivering the original and duplicate, filing in archives the triplicate; and (h) to realize any other task that the Mining Services Director considers necessary for a proper development.    

Province of Catamarca
Decree No. 676/2010, enacted by the Governor of the Province of Catamarca on 06/10/2010 (published in the Official Bulletin on the 07/09/2010)
It creates the Provincial Bureau of Environmental Mining Service (DiPGAM in Spanish) depending directly from the Mining State Secretary. It transfers to the Provincial Bureau of Environmental Mining Service the objectives and responsibilities of the Provincial Environmental Service Area (UGAP in Spanish) created by the Decree No. 1318/1997. It also creates, depending directly from the Mining State Secretary, five (5) Departmental Mining Agencies, which will operate in the following way: (a) D.D.M. N° 1: Andalgalá; (b) D.D.M. N° 2: Antofagasta de la Sierra; (c) D.D.M. N° 3: Belén; (d) D.D.M. N° 4: Santa María; y (e) D.D.M. N° 5: Tinogasta. These agencies, will seek information about the community’s needs, the positive effects reached by the mining industry and may fulfill other functions stated by the Mining State Secretary.