But farmers are worried that the ramifications could go much further, and some mining companies have given warning that they are reluctant to make new investments, lest they be affected by aboriginal land claims.

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The land affected by the law in the Senate amounts to 1m hectares (2.5m acres), says Mr Lorenzoni, so its progress is of concern to Congress's rural landowners' block and to property developers.

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Indigenous peoples tend to be disproportionately affected by dispossessions resulting from large-scale land acquisitions.

UNESCO: Madiodio Niasse on the risks associated with large-scale foreign land aquisitions | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

In particular, according to Orellana, Pacific Rim failed to provide an adequate environmental impact assessment for its proposed mine and did not meet the Salvadoran requirement that mining companies own the land that would be affected by their operations.

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The governors of nine affected states already gave homeowners a big break by forbidding insurers from declaring that Sandy made land as a hurricane.

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Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson meanwhile promised in a statement that any of the state's coastline affected by the spill "will be cleaned up quickly and BP will be picking up the tab".

BBC: Gulf oil spill reaches Texas as tar balls wash ashore

The approval granted by the government includes compulsory purchase powers and the county council said it will now write to the affected land owners and start the formal process of acquiring the remaining land required for the road.

BBC: Heysham-M6 road link given go-ahead