Chile’s environmental regulator announced on Thursday that it had filed four charges against a Canadian-owned Lundin copper mine following a sinkhole generated in late July on land close to the operation in the north of the country.

The Superintendency of the Environment (SMA) He said the main flaws were the over-extraction of ore and the construction of works in areas other than those approved in his permit, which would have caused the sinkhole 200 meters above the “Gaby 4” mansion.

“The case investigator and the regional office’s investigation have linked the sinkhole to over-extraction of ore,” Superintendent Emanuel Ibarra said in a statement.

“In addition, when the event occurred, large quantities of water began to seep into the mine from places where the company intervened beyond what had been considered in the environmental assessment.“, he added.

In mid-August, the ADM ordered measuresurgent and transitoryin the middle of the investigation into the causes that generated the huge hole, 36.5 meters in diameter, in the municipality of Tierra Amarilla, about 665 kilometers north of the Chilean capital.

The over-extraction was described as serious, while the modification of the mining infrastructure would be “very serious” since it would have caused irreparable environmental damage to an aquifer. In addition, two minor charges were filed.

The company faces fines equivalent to more than $13 million, as well as the closure or revocation of its environmental permit.

“We are currently carrying out the corresponding analyzes (of the decision of the ADM). The company is confident, based on the data collected and analyzed to date, that multiple factors influenced the formation of the sinkhole in the terrain at our site, mining activity being relevant.“, the company said in a statement.

“Minera Ojos del Salado has acted responsibly and decisively to mitigate the possible effects of chasm appeared on his property, in the municipality of Tierra Amarilla, pending and without prejudice to the possible conclusions of the final report of the sectoral authorities on the origin of the event“, he added.

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

With information from Reuters.