The Ministry of Environment has 400 requests for mining concessions in Ecuador

The Ecuadorian Minister of Environment, Tarsicio Granizo, reported today that his Ministry has received 400 requests for concessions for mining exploitation in the Andean country, 90% of them, to extract gold.

Quito, Nov 10 (EFE) .- The Ecuadorian Minister of Environment, Tarsicio Granizo, reported today that his Ministry has received 400 requests for concessions for mining exploitation in the country. Andean, 90% of them, to extract gold.

"We have about 400 concessions waiting to be licensed throughout the country," Granizo said in an interview with Efe in which he said that the Copper is another of the minerals whose exploitation is demand.

These are concessions that were requested and it is not yet certain that they will be granted, he said, recalling that in the process of delivering Permits are also involved by the National Water Secretariat (Senagua) for the need to take care of water sources.

Although the requests correspond to interested parties from all over the world The country, cited, among others, the northern region of the province of Esmeraldas, the northwest of the province of Pichincha (whose capital is Quito) and the provinces of Morona Santiago and Azuay.

Minister pointed out that there is no definite deadline for the completion of preliminary studies prior to the delivery of concessions, but insisted that Environment seeks to "accelerate the tramitología. "

He assured that there is an internal discussion in the cabinet of ministers to determine" what are the limits of mining ", in order to determine an order territorial and know where it is convenient to carry out mining.

Different social groups, including several indigenous, oppose mining concessions in Ecuador for fear of that damage their ecosystems, especially in the south of the country.