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‘It’s Russian roulette’: alarm as Europe backs critical minerals mines in water-stressed regions

The Guardian World Saturday 20 June 2026, 06:00 UTC By Rachel Salvidge 1 min read
Key Points

Exclusive: European Commission planning to rewrite key law to allow water-intensive mines in regions suffering from droughtThe European Commission plans to rewrite the EU’s flagship water protection law to speed up the development of critical minerals mines, despite many being located in drying and water-stressed regions, analysis has found. Mining is a water-intensive industry, requiring large volumes of water for ore processing, dust suppression, waste management and mine dewatering. While...

Exclusive: European Commission planning to rewrite key law to allow water-intensive mines in regions suffering from drought

The European Commission plans to rewrite the EU’s flagship water protection law to speed up the development of critical minerals mines, despite many being located in drying and water-stressed regions, analysis has found.

Mining is a water-intensive industry, requiring large volumes of water for ore processing, dust suppression, waste management and mine dewatering. While modern projects recycle water, they still require significant amounts, and in water-stressed regions those demands can add to pressure on already stretched rivers, aquifers and water supplies.

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Russian (ORG) Europe (LOCATION) Exclusive: European Commission (ORG) droughtThe European Commission (ORG) EU (ORG)
Originally published by The Guardian World Read original →

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