Management of historical environmental liabilities

Challenge the practice is addressing: The Proyecto Riotinto is a historical project, which is one of its key features. Due to its long history of usage, the mine has inherited environmental liabilities including the so-called diffuse waters.

Concrete practice to achieve the expected goal: These fluids are not produced by the Company's operations; rather, they originate from the project's inactive zones. Despite not being a result of Atalaya's operation, the Restoration Plan that the Company authorized as well as the Unified Environmental Authorization include management of diffuse waters and the gradual decrease of its metallic load to 100% of the baseline pollution load Riotinto's life.

Expected impact/goal of the practice: According to a specific report issued by the University of Huelva, with which the Atalaya collaborates in the quantification of the evolution of this metallic load, Proyecto Riotinto has currently achieved a reduction of these pollutants above the values required in the corresponding authorizations.

Who is the target user group of the practice/intervention or implementing the practice/intervention? This practice is relevant for extractive companies