Milei’s controversial glacier reform bill approved by Congress

A bill that weakens existing protections for Argentina’s glaciers and is expected to lead to increased mining in surrounding areas has been approved by lawmakers in the Chamber of Deputies.

In the early hours of Thursday morning, after nearly 12 hours of debate, lower house deputies voted 137 in favour and 111 against, with three abstentions, to pass the controversial reform bill promoted by President Javier Milei’s government.

The ruling party secured support from allied blocs including PRO, the UCR and several provincial parties, reflecting strong backing from mining regions. La Libertad Avanza also picked up support from two rebel lawmakers from the opposition Unión por la Patria (Peronist) caucus.

Amendments to the so-called “Ley de Glaciares,” or Glacier Law – which were already approved by the Senate in February – would make it easier to mine for metals such as copper, lithium and silver in periglacial areas.

In a statement after the vote, President Milei said Argentina now had “true environmental federalism” and a “sovereign, intelligent policy” for exploiting its natural resources. “Stubborn environmentalists who seek to block Argentina’s progress have once again lost,” he boasted on social media.

Environmental groups have strongly opposed the reforms, arguing the changes will weaken protections for crucial water sources. They have vowed to fight the changes in court.

Milei’s proposed changes to the National Glacier Law “would put the water security of millions of people at risk,” environmental NGO Greenpeace Argentina said in a statement. 

Thousands of people took part in a demonstration on Wednesday afternoon outside Congress, with minor clashes between protesters and police. Protesters held aloft signs and banners reading “Water is more precious than gold!” and “A glacier destroyed cannot be restored!”

Earlier in the day, seven Greenpeace activists were arrested after scaling a statue outside Congress and unfurling a banner urging lawmakers “not to betray the Argentine people” with their votes.

 

Congressional victory

Passage of the bill marks the latest congressional victory for Milei, who pushed through a major labour reform in February despite repeated street protests.

Karina Milei, the president’s sister, chief-of-staff and key political strategist, watched proceedings from a balcony in the chamber as the vote unfolded.

Ruling party lawmaker Nicolás Mayoraz (La Libertad Avanza, Santa Fe Province) told colleagues during the debate that combining “environmental protection and sustainable development is possible.” 

“We must not fall into the trap of anti-mining voices who seek to pit mining against the environment,” added lawmaker Carlos Jaime Quiroga (Producción y Trabajo) of San Juan Province, who said the reform would bring “progress and development” to several regions.

Environmental activist Flavia Broffoni, however, dismissed the government’s arguments.

“The science is clear… there is absolutely no possibility of creating what they [the government] call a ‘sustainable mine’ in a periglacial environment,” she said while addressing protesters outside Congress.

Argentina is home to more than 16,000 glaciers or rock glaciers (a mix of rock and ice), according to a 2018 national inventory.

In the northwest of the country, where mining activity is concentrated, glacial reserves have shrunk by 17 percent over the past decade, mainly due to climate change, according to the Instituto Argentino de Nivología y Glaciología (IANIGLA).

President Milei, a self-described “anarcho-capitalist” who rejects man-made climate change, says the bill is necessary to attract large-scale mining projects via his flagship RIGI investment incentive scheme.

Argentina is a major producer of lithium, which is critical to the global tech and green energy sectors. The Central Bank estimates, based on industry forecasts, that the country could triple its mining exports by 2030.

“Environmentalists would rather see us starve than have anything touched,” Milei has argued.

 

Andean support

The push to reform the National Glacier Law is backed by the governors of several Andean provinces, including Mendoza, San Juan, Catamarca and Salta. The regions are home to some of the country’s largest copper, gold and lithium projects.

Supporters say the reform will clarify criteria that are currently “imprecise” and transfer decision-making powers over mining projects in periglacial areas to provincial authorities.

The amendments would redefine the scope of protected areas to allow exploration and economic activity in periglacial zones that, in theory, do not fulfil a demonstrable hydrological function.

In essence, the reform seeks to remove the automatic ban on extractive activities in periglacial areas and reduce central government involvement.

Government supporters reject claims the reform violates the principle of non-regression in environmental protection, arguing it merely clarifies existing definitions.

“We want legal certainty; we want clear definitions,” said Michael Meding, director of the Los Azules copper project in San Juan, speaking to AFP.

Meding said the mining sector is “interested in protecting the environment” and that provinces should be responsible for determining areas of hydrological importance.

According to Central Bank projections, Argentina could triple its mining exports by 2030.

 

‘Tailor-made’

Opposition groups and environmental organisations say the changes would render the existing law ineffective and endanger strategic water reserves vital for human consumption, biodiversity and climate balance.

For Enrique Viale, president of the Argentine Association of Environmental Lawyers, the reform is “tailor-made for large transnational mining companies.”

He said the changes “put at risk the water of 70 percent of Argentines.”

Opposition lawmakers and scientists accused the government of relying on non-scientific data to justify the changes.

Critics also dispute the government’s argument that reforms are needed to attract investment, noting that mining investment has grown significantly over the past 15 years under the existing law.

One opposition lawmaker noted that glaciers cover just one percent of the Andes but feed water basins supplying around seven million people.

Pablo Villagra, director of IANIGLA, said the reform “blurs the role of scientific and technical criteria” and subordinates them to political decision-making by provincial authorities.

Four UN special rapporteurs have warned in recent weeks that the proposed reforms “would put aquatic ecosystems at risk, including groundwater, affecting water quality and therefore access to drinking water.”

“The global climate crisis is a reality we are all experiencing. Attacking glaciers will only worsen the situation,” said Greenpeace Argentina communications director Diego Salas.

 

– TIMES/AFP/NA/PERFIL