Copper-focused mining company Hudbay Minerals has announced the final settlement of three civil lawsuits filed against the company regarding its previous operations in Guatemala.
The lawsuits are related to the incidents alleged to have occurred in 2007 and 2009. Due to its ownership of the Fenix nickel project, Hudbay Minerals was named in the lawsuits.
Located in eastern Guatemala, the nickel project was acquired by Hudbay Minerals in 2008.
One of the cases was brought by 11 female plaintiffs, with allegations against the Guatemalan company responsible for the project prior to Hudbay Minerals’ acquisition.
Hudbay Minerals sold its holdings in Guatemala in 2011 and has not operated in the country since then.
The settlement terms confirm that the agreement was reached without an admission of liability, with both parties maintaining differing views on the facts underlying the allegations, including those concerning Hudbay Minerals’ subsidiaries.
Hudbay Minerals CEO and president Peter Kukielski said: “Hudbay is pleased to have reached a mutually agreed settlement that covers all three cases against the company. These matters have been outstanding for more than a decade, and the Board and management at Hudbay are pleased to bring them to a conclusion.
“In doing so, we recognised the difficult economic and social circumstances of the plaintiffs and we are thankful for a constructive resolution with the plaintiffs and their counsel.”
Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Hudbay Minerals has three long-life operations and a pipeline of copper growth projects in tier-one mining-friendly jurisdictions of Canada, Peru, and the US.
The company’s operating portfolio includes the Constancia mine in Peru, the Snow Lake operations and the Copper Mountain mine in Canada. Its growth pipeline includes the Copper World project and the Mason project in the US along with the Llaguen project in Peru.
Last month, Hudbay Minerals secured an aquifer protection permit for its Copper World project from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ).
