Rio Tinto acquires a 30% interest in the Minera Escondida copper mine, located in Chile’s Atacama Desert where it has severely depleted local water resources. Escondida is the world’s largest copper-producing mine and is managed by BHP Billiton. In 2020, an environmental watchdog reveals that for 15 years the mine has been extracting more water than allowed by its permits, all while Chile is experiencing a megadrought.
https://www.mining.com/chilean-watchdog-charges-bhp-for-water-misuse-at-escondida/