SEA approves modification of Teck Quebrada Blanca's QB2 mining project

The Environmental Evaluation Service (SEA) has issued a favorable environmental qualification for the modification of the QB2 mining project by Compañía Minera Teck Quebrada Blanca S.A., according to the notification published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile, No. 44,578, on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, Section I, page 1 (official reference: CVE 2887225). The decision is contained in the Environmental Qualification Resolution (RCA) No. 20269900138, dated October 13, 2026, issued by the Executive Director of the service. The act refers to the Environmental Impact Declaration (DIA) of the project “Modification of the QB2 Mining Project: Land transport of concentrates in the Tarapacá and Antofagasta regions, infrastructure improvement, and operation optimization.”

The legal framework of the decision

The notification is issued in accordance with Article 61 of Supreme Decree No. 40 of 2012, of the Ministry of the Environment, which approves the Regulations of the Environmental Impact Evaluation System (RSEIA), and in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 19,300 on General Bases of the Environment.

The document specifies that the consideration of citizen observations was incorporated into Annex No. 1: Consideration of Citizen Observations of the RCA. The full text of the resolution is available for public consultation at the service’s offices and via the link published by the SEA.

Deadlines and appeal channels

Pursuant to Article 29 of Law No. 19,300, interested parties who believe that their observations were not duly considered in the grounds of the RCA may file a claim with the Executive Director of the SEA.

• Deadline: 30 days from the date of this notification.
• Resolving authority: Executive Directorate of the SEA.
• Challenged document: RCA No. 20269900138, dated October 13, 2026.

Where to consult the file

The full text of the resolution can be reviewed at the following service offices:

• Executive Directorate of the SEA: Huérfanos 670, 16th floor, Santiago.
• SEA Tarapacá Regional Directorate: Riquelme 1081, Iquique.
• SEA Antofagasta Regional Directorate: Av. República de Croacia 0336, Antofagasta.

Additionally, the electronic evaluation file of the project is permanently available to the public on the SEA website, www.sea.gob.cl. The notification is signed by Arturo Nicolás Farías Alcaíno, Executive Director of the Environmental Evaluation Service.

Project scope

The approved modification comprises three axes declared in the project’s own title: the land transport of concentrates in the regions of Tarapacá and Antofagasta, the improvement of associated infrastructure, and the optimization of the deposit’s operation. This is a DIA, meaning the evaluation route provided for projects that do not generate the significant effects required for an Environmental Impact Study.

The publication in the Official Gazette constitutes the milestone that formally activates the challenge periods and provides public record of the administrative decision, a standard requirement for the progress of the works and activities contemplated in the initiative.

The resolution enables Compañía Minera Teck Quebrada Blanca S.A. to execute the evaluated modifications in one of the largest-scale mining operations in the north of the country, in an area where extractive activity and freight transport are central axes of the regional economy. For the communities and logistics operators of Tarapacá and Antofagasta, the act also establishes the starting point of the 30-day period for any claims regarding citizen observations.

Source: Official Gazette of the Republic of Chile, No. 44,578, Tuesday, October 20, 2026, Section I, p. 1 (official reference: CVE 2887225).