BNamericas reported that Switzerland based resource group Xstrata presented an EIA for a USD 320,000 plan to treat smelter dust at its Altonorte copper and molybdenum refining complex in Chile's northern region II that comes from the other 6 smelters in the country.

According to Xstrata's EIA presented to environmental regulator Conama, the plan is to process 100 tonnes per day of smelter dust at Altonorte of which 70 tonne per day to 80 tonnes per day will come from other smelters and 20 tonne per day to 30 tonnes per day will be provided internally. The project will employ 15 workers during construction and 15 during operation and is expected to have a 25 year operational life.

Xstrata completed in January 2008 the construction of a 100 tonnes per day smelter dust treatment plant at Altonorte, which cost USD 4.5 million. The smelter produced 113,084 tonnes of copper anodes in the H1 of this year. Xstrata's full copper output in the period amounted to 447,509 tonnes.

(Sourced from Business News Americas)