Summary
Today the mining world looks immersed in a great controversy when "open-pit mining" it comes.
This controversy far from getting in a sole media declaration is subject of analysis, not only in the specialized field, but also in the society, generating all sorts of implications, where the industrialists argue that the progress cannot be stopped, supported in the criteria that for the building of the infrastructure it is imperative to take advantage of these non-renewable resources and that the mining constitutes one of the principal lines of productivity that helps public finances which highly contributes to the GDP of the country.
On the other hand, environmentalists argue that mining is affecting the achievement of water and water currents become deformed, while ignoring that the high mounts (paramos) are strategic ecosystems as providers and regulators of such waters and a huge diversity of wild animal live; however there are no scientific studies that show neither one nor the other, but if there are many statistics that have been made elsewhere, locally nothing has been proved. In Colombia it is observed that large projects have been stopped as the exploitation of gold deposits in the Paramo of Santurbรกn (Santander) so pretext of the above mentioned considerations. In order to do not take position on one or another sense it is worthwhile to consider the legal implications in the light of the Colombian legislation for the exploitation of non-renewable resources in a responsible way and also to consider different aspects such as the social-economical and environmental issues. Comparing the legislation and current situation of some Latin American countries in this regards, we will look for the answers in order to clarify the concerns that arise and that will allow everybody to have a responsible exploitation without damaging the water resources for the big cities as well as the ecosystems or nearby communities.
Key words: Mining, open-pit mining, environmental impact.
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