SANTIAGO, Aug 16 (Reuters) – Chile’s environmental regulator said on Tuesday it had issued a series of measures against a copper mine owned by Canada’s Lundin after a sinkhole occurred on land near exploitation.

The Superintendence of the Environment (SMA) has ordered six “urgent and transitory” measures amid the investigation into the causes that generated the huge hole 36.5 meters in diameter in the municipality of Tierra Amarilla, some 665 kilometers north of the Chilean capital.

“After carrying out several inspection visits to the area, it was detected that the company was over-extraction of material, which could have caused an increase in outcrop waters which were not sufficiently controlled”, said the superintendent in charge of the Environment, Emmanuel Ibarra.

“Given the relevance of the events we have witnessed, it is necessary to dictate these measures, which are complementary to the actions taken by Sernageomin and the Ministry of Mines,” he added.

The measures include a study of soil stability, monitoring of levels in wells, hydrogeochemical analyzes of the main compounds and trace elements of groundwater and a study evaluating the current drainage system.

In addition, a study has been requested to verify whether or not the volumes of water historically extracted by Mina Ojos del Salado have generated damage to the alluvial aquifer of the Copiapó River or to another aquifer present in the area.

The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Last week, Mines Minister Marcela Hernando said the government would seek to impose tough penalties on those responsible for the sinkhole, citing overexploitation of the nearby deposit.

The Canadian owns 80% of the property, while the remaining 20% ​​is in the hands of the Japanese Sumitomo Metal Mining and Sumitomo Corporation.

(Reporting by Fabián Andrés Cambero, editing by Natalia Ramos)