Peru's Southern Copper has asked the government to postpone a public meeting over its Tia Maria project, which has sparked protests by villagers who fear the mine will affect water supplies, according to Reuters. Southern Copper, one of the world's biggest producers, had planned to hold the meeting on April 19 to present its environmental plan. The meeting was already delayed from February. Last year, the presentation of the environmental plan had to be abandoned when protesters started hurling chairs and tables. The company said it had asked the mining ministry to cancel the event due to "continuing illegal acts." Peru's government assured farmers this week the mine would not sap their water supplies but blamed the miner for failing to win community support to avert protests against the project. Farmers and ranchers, worried they will lose access to water on the dry western slopes of the Andes, have blocked Peru's main highway to try to derail the meeting. Southern Copper must make the public presentation to get approval for its environmental impact study. Police have used tear gas to disperse the protesters, who set up a roadblock on Wednesday near the town of Islay, some 620 miles (1,000 km) south of Lima, the capital. The Tia Maria project, which needs $934 million in investments, would produce 120,000 tonnes of copper per year starting in late 2011.
