Codelco has halted processing at its Andina copper division after an obstruction in the tailings transport system near the Rápido RV4 sector caused a partial tailings release that may have entered the Blanco River within the Río Blanco canyon, upstream of the Aconcagua River basin. Emergency actions include shutting the concentrator, suspending tailings transport, diverting flows to the Piuquenitos reservoir, and continuous river sampling, while water utility Esval has closed its Aconcagua surface intake and switched to underground sources for Los Andes. The incident coincides with disclosure of 42,100 tonnes of previously inflated copper output and a 17,000‑tonne inventory reporting discrepancy, intensifying regulatory and community scrutiny of tailings and water-risk management at Andina.

Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire are launching a detailed investigation into the façade “chimney effect” that allowed flames and smoke to race up Grenfell Tower’s cladding system in 2017. The work will focus on how ventilated cavity geometry, insulation and cladding panel configuration influenced vertical fire spread and smoke movement. Findings are expected to inform future façade fire engineering, including cavity barrier design, material selection and test methods for high-rise residential towers.

Industrial action at Sellafield and escalating cyber threats to nuclear sites are now the “top concerns” for Nuclear Decommissioning Authority chief executive David Peattie, who oversees clean-up of 17 UK sites including Magnox and Dounreay. Peattie warned that further strikes by GMB and Unite members at the 6 km² Sellafield complex could disrupt high-hazard waste retrievals and legacy pond and silo decommissioning schedules. He also flagged ransomware and operational technology intrusions as key risks to safety-critical control systems and long-term programme delivery.