Albemarle slams Chile over 'unjust' withholding of Atacama study
2021-03-05 12:03:59 [Print]
Albemarle Corp, the world's top lithium producer, has accused a Chilean regulator of "unjust" discrimination for refusing to make public a key report on the impact of mining on the Atacama salt flat, according to court filings.
U.S.-based Albemarle in July last year asked to see the publicly funded report but regulator Corfo rejected the request after Chilean miner SQM, a top competitor, objected on grounds it contained confidential information. A government watchdog upheld the decision.
Both Albemarle and SQM - the only two lithium miners on the salt flat - contributed data to the report. But while SQM's contract with the government allows it to review and comment on the study, Albemarle's agreement does not.
Albemarle blasted that discrepancy in previously unreported arguments made before a Santiago appeals court in February, saying it resulted in "arbitrary, unjust, illegal, and above all, unconstitutional discrimination." The company is appealing the watchdog's decision and demanding the report be made public immediately.
Albemarle has for months also feuded with Corfo over royalty payments, and with another Chilean regulator over data used to determine its production quota.
Corfo disclosed that it had sent a final draft of the environmental study - meant to guide government regulation and oversight of the flat - to SQM for review on Feb. 16.
Corfo's contract with SQM requires it offer the company the opportunity to comment, but the agency is not required to implement the company's suggested changes.
The regulator said it would make the final draft public following SQM's review "provided that any eventual affected third parties did not oppose its release."
U.S.-based Albemarle in July last year asked to see the publicly funded report but regulator Corfo rejected the request after Chilean miner SQM, a top competitor, objected on grounds it contained confidential information. A government watchdog upheld the decision.
Both Albemarle and SQM - the only two lithium miners on the salt flat - contributed data to the report. But while SQM's contract with the government allows it to review and comment on the study, Albemarle's agreement does not.
Albemarle blasted that discrepancy in previously unreported arguments made before a Santiago appeals court in February, saying it resulted in "arbitrary, unjust, illegal, and above all, unconstitutional discrimination." The company is appealing the watchdog's decision and demanding the report be made public immediately.
Albemarle has for months also feuded with Corfo over royalty payments, and with another Chilean regulator over data used to determine its production quota.
Corfo disclosed that it had sent a final draft of the environmental study - meant to guide government regulation and oversight of the flat - to SQM for review on Feb. 16.
Corfo's contract with SQM requires it offer the company the opportunity to comment, but the agency is not required to implement the company's suggested changes.
The regulator said it would make the final draft public following SQM's review "provided that any eventual affected third parties did not oppose its release."
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China lithium carbonate 99.5%mi producers' inventory to production ratio statistics by province by month
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