Chile Court Throws Out Mining Challenge

The Second Environmental Court in Santiago has thrown out an attempt by a major iodine mining firm to overturn an environmental license granted to a rival. New York Stock Exchange-listed SQM had challenged a permit granted to SCM Corporación de Desarrollo del Norte to expand capacity at its Soledad iodine production plant in the northern region of Tarapaca. SQM is the world’s largest producer of lithium, iodine and specialty fertilizer. Chile is the world’s largest source of mined iodine. “SQM lacks active legitimation because it did not sufficiently credit its individual or collective interest affected by the environmental license for ...