SQM - Albemarle SQM battle over access to Atacama water study

Albemarle ([[ALB]] -1.7%) has accused Chilean rival miner SQM ([[SQM]] -1.9%) and local regulators of seeking to keep secret a key report about the environmental impact of lithium mining in the Atacama salt flat, Reuters reports.Chilean regulator Corfo in August denied a request from Albemarle to review the long-awaited report, telling the company it was unable to provide the report because it was still under review and contained confidential business information, according to Reuters.Both SQM and Albemarle contributed to the report, but while SQM's contract with Corfo allows it to review working drafts of studies commissioned by the agency and related to water in the Atacama flat, Albemarle's contract does not include this clause.Albemarle reportedly blasted Corfo's decision in an August appeal presented to Chile's Council for Transparency, calling the study long-overdue and "highly relevant" to understanding the environmental effects of mining on the flat.Corfo recently accused Albemarle of underpaying

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Albemarle, SQM battle over access to Atacama water study