Argentine court denies challenge to law against mining on glaciers

Argentina’s Supreme Court on Tuesday shot down a challenge to an environmental law banning mining in glacial areas that had been brought by Canadian miner Barrick Gold.

“The challenge posed by Barrick is ruled inadmissible,” according to the ruling.

The company did not issue a statement, but a Barrick source with knowledge of the matter said the court’s decision would not affect any of the company’s current operations in Argentina.

The source, who said Barrick would “analyze” the ruling, spoke anonymously due to lack of permission to comment on the record.

Barrick owns the Veladero gold mine in north-west Argentina and the Pascua-Lama mine that straddles the Argentine-Chile border.

The local chapter of Greenpeace issued a statement welcoming the court’s ruling.

(By Nicolas Misculin and Hugh Bronstein; Editing by Sandra Maler)