RE:RE:Only Paramo elevation established is in SantanderEcodes study commissioned by EOM and undertaken at a scale of 1:2,000 says no Paramo affecting Angostura deposit.
"The Company believes that the Ecodes study provides the authorities with a robust analysis of the state of conservation of biodiversity and expects that these findings will assist them in delineating the ultimate boundaries of the Santurban paramo," stated Joo Carrlo, President & CEO of Eco Oro. "The study supports our view that the Angostura deposit is not located in paramo."
https://www.eco-oro.com/s/NewsReleases.asp?ReportID=583546&_Type=News-Releases&_Title=Eco-Oro-Receives-Study-Indicating-Angostura-Deposit-Not-in-Paramo
Fundacin Estacin Biolgica Guayacanal study commissioned by a non-governmental organization representing the municipalities of Vetas, Cali and Surata, undertaken at a scale of 1:10,000, says no Paramo affecting Vetas project.
"According to the probabilistic model, the lower limit of the Pramo is situated above 3600m a.s.l. in most of the study area. There are local variations due to more abrupt geological formations, in which a non-significant percentage of the Pramo area may occur in the form of scarps or rocky edges. This limit coincides very closely, for the most part, with the limit proposed by the CDMB for the Santurbn Regional Natural Park…………… The altitudinal limit between pasturelands and scrublands indicates that the latter, as characteristic cover of primary and secondary pramos, are concentrated above 3600m a.s.l. and are rare below 3500m a.s.l.".
https://www.marketwired.com/press-release/cb-gold-receives-study-indicating-vetas-gold-project-not-affected-paramo-santurban-tsx-venture-cbj-1794932.htm
The government should have taken these studies into consideration when delimiting the Paramo the first time around. Instead they half a$$ed it as usual, playing bush league politics, thinking that they would later just use their discretion to make exceptions for certain projects. Given the recent court ruling, the Ministry will now have to either scramble to scrap their previous demilitation and redfine the boundries taking into account legitimate scientific data or pay out the wazoo and receive no economic benefit in return. If the ruling stands that is and the courts haven't overstepped here as some others have suggested.
I seriously doubt the goverment is going to throw away all of the economic benefits these projects have to offer in favour of paying out hundereds of millions of dollars and going back to fighting the illegal mining in the very same areas when there is extremely strong scientific data to support permitting these projects.
BH