Chile's supreme court hears Dominga supporters

Chile's supreme court started Monday to hear supporters' arguments for Andes Iron's US$2.5bn Dominga iron ore-copper project, while it heard opponents last week.

Andes Iron lawyer Luis Cordero said according to local newspaper Pulso that the 2017 council of ministers' rejection of the environmental permit for the project in Coquimbo region (IV) due to concerns over biodiversity, suffered from defects.

Fernando Roco, lawyer representative of the nearby community of La Higuera, claimed that "five of the six votes of the environmental assessment commission that rejected the project had no foundation."

If the supreme court accepts the opponents' arguments, it could issue a ruling to confirm the rejection of the mining project.

In case the court sides with Dominga's proponents, Coquimbo's environmental evaluation commission will have to vote again, but this time with the votes of authorities from the current government.

The supreme court is expected to issue a ruling in four or five months.