In 2023, Chile's environmental regulator, the Superintendency of the Environment, filed four charges against Anglo American’s Los Bronces copper mine for noncompliance with environmental permits, potentially resulting in fines of approximately 17 billion pesos (US$17.17 million). The most serious charge stems from the company's decade-long failure to implement a definitive solution for acid drainage issues at the Esteriles Donoso tailings deposit, constituting a "repetition of acts previously sanctioned" dating back to 2014. Additional "serious" violations include failing to design a mitigation system for acid waters collected downstream of the Esteriles deposit and not taking adequate measures to control seepage in the Las Tortolas tailings dam, while a "minor" charge was filed for incomplete reporting of water and tailings data. This case highlights the persistent environmental challenges facing copper mining operations, particularly regarding the management of toxic mine waste and water contamination, as well as regulatory efforts to enforce compliance through escalating sanctions – an especially significant development considering Los Bronces' strategic importance to Anglo American, which has been targeted for acquisition by mining giant BHP.