The Project is located at a considerable distance from human settlements, so workers will use camps and canteens and will be transported in buses hired specifically for the project. Therefore, the workers' relationship with the communities will be very limited. The closest human settlement to the Desalination Plant sector is the city of Tocopilla at a distance of 14 km, and the closest human settlement to the water transport system sector is María Elena at a distance of 5km.

The Project estimates that it will require approximately 5,000 workers during the most active period of the construction phase, and for this purpose it will build two camps: one for 2,000 workers in the Desalination Plant sector, and another for 800 workers in the water transport system sector. In addition to these two camps, the project will use the existing camp within the RT sector for the workers who will build the reservoir and the other works within Codelco's North District.

Environmental and Social Permitting Process

The Project and its modifications went through the environmental and social permitting process: the Project went through an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) as part of a mining project called "RT Sulfides" and then went through some modifications evaluated through an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and three Relevance Consultations.

This process resulted in an Environmental Qualification Resolution (RCA) of approval for both the EIA and the EIS. Some modifications to the Project were also submitted through three Relevance Consultations, all resulting in a favorable response from the SEA (Environmental Evaluation Service) indicating that such modifications did not require an additional EIA or EIS, and therefore did not result in a different or additional RCA.

Relevant Aspects

Positive Impacts

- Increase in employment by hiring local labor (construction and operation phase)
- Positive effect on the water balance of the Antofagasta Region.
- Positive effect on the sustainability of our client, Corporación Nacional del Cobre, and key contribution to its strategic goal of reducing dependence on inland water.

Light Impacts

- Increase in the environmental concentration of combustion gases (NO2, SO2 and CO)
- Increase in sound pressure levels (construction, operation and closure phase)
- Vibrations from heavy machinery and blasting (construction phase)
- Loss of the natural resource soil (construction phase)
- Interference with travel (Construction Phase)
- Generation of electromagnetic fields (Operation Phase)
- Increased environmental concentration of particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5 and MPS) (Operation phase)
- Alteration of benthic communities (Construction phase)
- Alteration of the physical and chemical characteristics of seawater (Operation Phase)
- Alteration of planktonic communities (Operation Phase)

Moderate Impacts

- Increase in the environmental concentration of particulate matter (MP10, MP2.5 and MPS) (Construction phase)
- Loss of flora individuals in conservation category (Construction phase)
- Changes in demographic structure and local population density (Construction phase)
- Collision of avifauna with high voltage power lines (Operation phase)

Relevant Impacts

- Alteration of wildlife habitat (Construction Phase)
- Proximity to and/or alteration of national monuments (archaeological sites) (Construction phase)
- Change in the income level of human groups (Construction Phase)
- Alteration to the visual quality of the landscape (Construction and operation phase)

Based on these effects and impacts identified for the Project, a Mitigation, Remediation and Compensation Measures Plan was proposed and approved by the authority and is being executed as committed.

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