Established in 1970, NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) works to safeguard the earth, its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. Our team of more than 800 lawyers, policy experts, scientists, economists, and communications specialists work across the United States and around the world, from offices in Washington D.C., New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, and Santa Monica, as well as a representative office in Beijing and affiliate offices in New Delhi (through NRDC’s wholly owned for-profit subsidiary, NRDC India Private Limited) and London (through its UK-based partner NRDC International).
Antamina is a polymetallic mining complex that produces copper, zinc and molybdenum concentrates, and silver and lead concentrates as by products.
The mine is located in the district of San Marcos, Ancash Region, 200 km. from the city of Huaraz at an average altitude of 4,300 meters above sea level. The company has its own port, called Punta Lobitos located in the coastal province of Huarmey.
Investment in Antamina (an initial investment of approximately U.S. $ 2.3 billion, plus U.S. $ 1.2 billion of investment in the expansion of its operations) is considered the highest in the history of Peruvian mining. Today it is among the largest Peruvian producers of copper and zinc concentrates and one of the ten largest mines in the world in terms of operating volume.
Compania Minera Antamina SA is a company incorporated under Peruvian law, the product of a joint venture between four leading companies in the world mining industry.
Antamina's shareholders are:
• BHP Billiton (33.75%)
• Xstrata (33.75%)
• Teck (22.5%)
• Mitsubishi Corporation (10%)
Amazon Watch is a nonprofit organization founded in 1996 to protect the rainforest and advance the rights of indigenous peoples in the Amazon Basin. We partner with indigenous and environmental organizations in campaigns for human rights, corporate accountability and the preservation of the Amazon's ecological systems.
We envision a world that honors and values cultural and biological diversity and the critical contribution of tropical rainforests to our planet's life support system. We believe that indigenous self-determination is paramount, and see that indigenous knowledge, cultures and traditional practices contribute greatly to sustainable and equitable stewardship of the Earth. We strive for a world in which governments, corporations and civil society respect the collective rights of indigenous peoples to free, prior and informed consent over any activity affecting their territories and resources. We commit, in the spirit of partnership and mutual respect, to support our indigenous allies in their efforts to protect life, land, and culture in accordance with their aspirations and needs.