Argentine lawmakers are preparing to vote on sweeping changes that would loosen a 2010 glacier protection law despite growing protests from environmental groups, as President Javier Milei seeks to unlock billions of dollars in mining investment, reported Reuters.
At the heart of the proposed reform is a shift in authority over glacier protection. Under the current Glacier Law, all glaciers identified through a national scientific inventory are automatically protected under minimum environmental standards, and activities such as mining, oil exploration and infrastructure development are prohibited in those areas.
The new bill, up for debate by Argentina’s Senate on Thursday, would allow provinces to set their own standards for protecting glaciers and periglacial environments—high-altitude ice formations, often covered by rock debris, that serve as key freshwater reserves.
The debate has exposed deep divisions. Some provincial leaders, eager to attract mining projects, argue that since Argentina’s constitution grants provinces ownership of natural resources, they should have the right to decide which areas to protect.
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