PSJ public hearing: quiet start, many absentees on day two

The second day of the public hearing for the PSJ Cobre Mendocino contrasted with the bustle of the former, and the roads to Uspallata and the camp were quiet. Little remained of the lines of cars seen Saturday morning. As on the previous day, the start of the hearing was delayed by half an hour, and several absences were observed, especially in the opening minutes of the meeting.

For this Sunday, 156 speakers are expected, the same number that is counted for each day of in-person presentations for the remaining days. The organizers clarified that those who were nominated but were not present at the time will be renominated at the end of the presentations in case they arrived late and thus not miss their opportunity to speak.

In total, approximately 1,400 people have signed up to express their opinions. The public hearing is the final stage of the project and is not binding on the remaining approval steps. In this case, the implementing authority will decide whether to approve the project. As provided for in Law No. 7722, the final step is the approval of the Legislature, which must approve or reject the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). During the first day, most of the presentations were in favor of PSJ , while at the beginning of the second day, support prevailed, but some also expressed opposition.

The exhibition space was fully occupied, although fewer officials were present this time than on the first day. However, the area's representatives were fully present. Among those present were Minister of Energy and Environment Jimena Latorre; Undersecretary of Environment Nuria Ojeda; Chief of Staff Manuel López; and mining authorities Leonardo Fernández and Jerónimo Shantal. Also present were Sustainability Coordinator Carla Ortega and Bruno De Pascuale, a member of the advisory panel.