Adventus, Salazar receive water permit for Curipamba mine in Ecuador

Ecuador's environment ministry has granted a water use permit for the US$293mn Curipamba copper-gold project.

Curipamba, to be operated by the Canadian companies Adventus Mining and Salzar Resources, is located in Bolívar province in central Ecuador.

This key permit allows planned construction activities to be carried out in accordance with the technical requirements stipulated in the water resources law, the companies said in a statement.

With this latest authorization, the companies are only lacking the final document stating the transition of the project from the medium-scale exploration stage to the production stage before they begin construction.

As Scott Mealer, VP of Adventus Mining and CEO of Curimining, the local subsidiary of Salazar Resources, told BNamericas in March, construction of the mine was due to begin this month.

However, last Wednesday, a local court in Las Naves canton, admitted a legal action for constitutional protection against the environment ministry and the attorney general's office aimed at halting the progress of the project.

The injunction was submitted around two weeks ago by members of the rural communities of Buenos Aires, Bellavista and Jerusalem, alleging that the process carried out by the ministry violated their right to participation and the right to environmental consultation. 

Those who signed the lawsuit asked for the approval of the environmental impact study to be overturned and the granting of the environmental license to be revoked. Both are essential elements to begin construction of the mine.

Adventus and Salazar Resources estimated that a decision on the case by the local judge could take between two and three months, after which an appeal may be submitted to a provincial judge, which could take an additional three to six months.

Depending on the ruling, the case could even go to the constitutional court eventually.

The companies added in the statement that the environment ministry has solid evidence to refute the accusations, since 98% of votes in the environmental consultation backed the issuance of the environmental permit.

Several community leaders have expressed their concern about the legal action because they believe it seeks to delegitimize their voice and participation in the environmental consultation process, the companies added.