The Chamber of Deputies approved the new Glacier Law on April 9 following a debate that lasted more than ten hours. The reform, introduced by President Javier Milei’s government, received support from five provincial governors seeking to expand mining zones in their provinces to attract investment. Jujuy is among these provinces.
The amendment to Law 26.639 on Minimum Budgets for the Protection of Glaciers and Periglacial Environment allows governors to redefine exclusion areas for mining activities. The measure passed with 137 votes in favor, 111 against, and three abstentions.
Support from parties such as PRO, UCR, Elijo Catamarca (aligned with Governor Raúl Jalil), and Innovación Federal (linked to Misiones Governor Hugo Passalaqcua and Salta Governor Gustavo Sáenz) was crucial for reaching the quorum needed to open the session at 3:12 p.m. Additional backing came from some members of Provincias Unidas.
The majority was secured through negotiations involving Governors Marcelo Orrego (San Juan), Raúl Jalil (Catamarca), Gustavo Sáenz (Salta), Alfredo Cornejo (Mendoza), and Carlos Sadir (Jujuy). San Juan and Mendoza are part of the so-called “Copper Table,” while Salta, Jujuy, and Catamarca form the “Lithium Table.” These governors had requested changes to Law 26.639 in November during talks related to labor reform legislation.
According to government estimates, changing the law could bring more than $10 billion in investments. The “lithium triangle”—comprising Salta, Jujuy, and Catamarca—is an area sought after by foreign mining companies needing lithium for technological development. There are over 1,500 glacier or periglacial bodies registered by Ianigla in this region that were previously off-limits for mining but may now be reclassified if deemed not relevant for water resources.
A central aspect of the reform is transferring authority from national institutions like IANIGLA to provincial governments regarding which areas qualify as periglacial environments subject to protection or mining activity. While current law protects both visible glaciers and rock formations within periglacial zones by prohibiting industrial activity there, the reform limits restrictions only to those geological formations identified as having strategic or significant water resources by each province’s authorities.
