On Thursday Chile’s Environmental Court ruled in favor of indigenous complaints that had been brought against SQM. SQM is the world’s second-largest miner of lithium. They had planned for expansion but the expansion plans caused questions about Chile’s northern desert’s ability to handle the level of production.

The court put emphasis on how frail the environment in the northern dessert was right now as well as the lack of scientific study that SQM has done to prove that their mining would not affect the area’s water supply. They cite the ruling as a precaution that could change if they found evidence that the environment could be saved.

This is a big win for the indigenous people of the region whose water supply is threatened by the evergrowing expansion of lithium mining.