Over the last two decades, Uruguay, a nation traditionally known for its cattle, sheep and expanses of grasslands, has undergone some wrenching changes. Soybean operations and forest plantations serving enormous pulp mills now loom large. Pesticide and fertilizer use are soaring, and rivers are increasingly polluted with agrochemicals and waste from industrial plants. But Uruguayans now face a new land-use-altering phenomenon: large-scale mining. On September 3, Uruguay’s national Chamber of Representatives passed a law, approved a month earlier by the Senate, that sets new rules for mining projects and provides for increased taxes on mining of up to 38% on profits. Uruguay currently has some small limestone quarries and a few small gold mines, but it has never been a significant mineral... [Log in to read more]