Argentine business chambers for construction and industry demand a reform to the Glaciers Law to implement case-by-case analysis, aiming to remove regulatory barriers and boost mining investments. This stance aligns with the official bill submitted by Javier Milei's government to the Senate on December 15. The groups support provinces defining protected areas, prioritizing precise scientific criteria.
The Argentine Chamber of Construction (CAMARCO), led by Gustavo Weiss, and the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA) have demanded that the reform of the Glaciers Law (Law 26.639) shift from abstract criteria to a case-by-case approach. They argue that the current law functions as a "regulatory chokehold" due to its lack of precision, halting mining projects and infrastructure without proper technical justification. "Not all glaciers and periglacial environments constitute 'strategic water resource reserves'", states CAMARCO's communiqué, which calls for specific technical studies and expert evaluations.
The UIA echoes this, noting that the law's "original spirit" protects only strategic water reserves. They stress the need for "clear scientific criteria" to provide predictability and balance environmental protection with economic growth, employment, and competitiveness. Both organizations highlight the provinces' central role as legitimate owners of natural resources, advocating federal dialogue to prevent judicial interventions, aligning with Supreme Court rulings.
The government bill, submitted to the Senate on December 15 and signed by Javier Milei, Luis Caputo, and Manuel Adorni, aims to end the "uncertainty" limiting provincial prerogatives. It references a December 10 note from governors of the Lithium Table (Catamarca, Jujuy, and Salta) and the Copper Table (Mendoza and San Juan), who warn that the current law hinders sustainable development. The proposal preserves glaciers for uses like human consumption, agriculture, and biodiversity but empowers provincial authorities to identify those with actual hydraulic functions.
A key article introduces an inverse "precautionary principle": entries in the National Glaciers Inventory are protected until verified to lack hydraulic functions, at which point they are excluded from the law. The Argentine Institute of Nivology, Glaciology, and Environmental Sciences (IANIGLA) retains its technical role, but provinces can request removals if they identify non-relevant areas.
