Regulation/ Legal Issues |
Canada, where Barrick is based, is home to 60 percent of the world’s mining corporations, which run operations across the globe. Despite being a leader in this industry, Canada has not taken the lead on mediating or taking responsibility for the behavior of their corporations abroad. As a consequence of this negligence, Canada has drawn criticism from around the world, first by environmental, religious and human rights organizations, and now increasingly from international institutions, such as the United Nations. Even the Canadian government has started to recognize the harsh reality accompanying the presence of their mining industry abroad, which is characterized by environmental destruction, political corruption, community struggles, human rights abuses, and massive amounts of water consumption. 2006 marked the year of the first National Roundtables on Corporate Social Responsibility and the Canadian Extractive Industry in Developing Countries, a forum that was organized in reaction to a 2005 Report from Canada’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade (SCFAIT). The standing committee’s report admitted that Canada does have not laws ensuring that Canadian mining companies “conform to human rights standards, including the rights of workers and indigenous peoples.” But, despite overwhelming evidence that the self-regulation and voluntary measures adopted by mining companies are not sufficient to guarantee these rights, a binding legal framework to ensure these rights has yet to be pursued by the Canadian Government. Read SCFAIT report "Mining
in Developing Countries and Corporate Social Responsibility" |
| Lake Cowal Gathering 2009 Join Wiradjuri and their supporters over the easter weekend, Friday 10 - Sunday 12 April. |
| Students abandon school for gold, prostitution in Tarime by Damas Mwita, This Day The future of many students in Tarime remains bleak as they continue to drop out of school due to various reasons such as early marriages, pregnancy and gold mining. |
| Analysis: Argentine glacier protection bill could shut mines by Luis Andres Henao, Reuters An Argentine bill to protect glaciers by banning mining in ice zones could hinder a new multibillion-dollar gold mine, shutter some projects and slow investment, although some mining provinces seeking to circumvent the measure are passing their own laws. |
| Barrick Gold confirms deaths of 2 miners in Nevada mine shaft by Martin Griffith, Associated Press Searchers in Nevada found the remains of two miners at the bottom of a gold mine shaft, company officials said Saturday, after crews worked for more than 32 hours to safely access the area 1,300 feet underground. |
| Argentine lower house passes glacier bill by Luis Andres Henao, Reuters Africa Argentine lawmakers on Wednesday approved a glacier-protection bill that would ban mining and oil drilling in the country's Andean ice fields. |
| Testimony before Canadian Parliament re Barrick & Porgera JV (Papua New Guinea) Business and Human Rights Resource Centre In October & November 2009, the Canadian House of Commons' Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs & Intl. Development held hearings on "Bill C-300, An Act respecting Corporate Accountability". The following statements were made regarding issues including allegations of killings, rape & other security problems involving personnel at the Porgera Joint Venture in Papua New Guinea, as well as the Porgera mine's environmental impacts. (Barrick Gold holds a large majority stake of the Porgera Joint Venture.) |
| DECLARATION OF BINATIONAL MEETING CHILE AND ARGENTINA:"LOS ANDES MINING WITHOUT BORDER"
July 15th, 2010 |
| Espejitos por oro / Mirrors for gold A video by a young activist film maker from the Dominican Republic, Jose Maria Cabral, highlighting the concerns of Dominica peoples about Barrick Gold's operations on their lands. [The video is in spanish only] |
 | Deputies demand investigations over Barrick-government ties, Argentina National Deputies Elisa Carrió, Miguel Bonasso and Fernanda Reyes demanded an investigations over possible traffic of influence in favour of Barrick Gold, and direct economic links between the gold miner and San Juan province Governor José Luis Gioja. |
| Deputies demand investigations over Barrick-government ties, Argentina National Deputies Elisa Carrió, Miguel Bonasso and Fernanda Reyes demanded an investigation over possible traffic of influence in favour of Barrick Gold, and direct economic links between the gold miner and San Juan province Governor José Luis Gioja. |
| Acusan a Cristina por “tráfico de influencias” en favor de una minera
by Juan Cruz Sanz , Clarin.com ESPANOL: Siete días antes de la fecha prevista para que la Cámara baja vuelva a tratar la ley de proteción de glaciares que Cristina vetó en el 2008, tres diputados opositores presentaron ayer a la Justicia una denuncia para que se investigue el posible “tráfico de influencias” de la Presidenta para favorecer inversiones de la minera canadiense Barrick Gold en la frontera sanjuanina con Chile. |
| A la Justicia por Pascua Lama
by Federico Poore, Pagina 12 ESPANOL: Diputados opositores pidieron ayer a la Justicia que investigara posibles vínculos entre funcionarios y la empresa minera Barrick Gold. Los legisladores Miguel Bonasso (Diálogo por Buenos Aires), Elisa Carrió y Fernanda Reyes (Coalición Cívica) presentaron nuevas pruebas para ampliar la investigación que lleva adelante el juez Marcelo Martínez de Giorgi y reclamaron al Gobierno que diera a conocer el acuerdo tributario que firmó con la compañía canadiense. La empresa aseguró en un comunicado que sus actividades “se de-sarrollan en el más estricto apego a la legislación vigente”. |
| Denuncian lazos de Mayoral con la minera canadiense Barrick by Leonardo Nicosia, Perfil Mientras el Congreso se prepara para debatir otra vez una ley de protección de glaciares, la oposición solicitó esta semana a la ESPANOL: Justicia que investigue las ventajas impositivas extraordinarias que el Estado le habría otorgado a la Barrick Gold en el proyecto Pascua-Lama, en San Juan. Los diputados Elisa Carrió, Fernanda Reyes (CC)y Miguel Bonasso (DpBA) denunciaron, además, que existen llamativos vínculos entre la companía y el secretario de Minería, Jorge Mayoral. |
| San Juan province governor accused of 'economic ties' with Barrick Gold Buenos Aires Herald Deputies Elisa Carrió and Miguel Bonasso filed a complaint against San Juan province Governor José Luis Gioja and Barrick Gold mining company for alleged "economic links" between the two. They also accused President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of vetoeing the Glaciers Law in order to favour the company. |
| Mining Through Roots: Displacement, Poverty and the Global Extractive Industry by Sakura Saunders, editor protestbarrick.net July 3rd, 2010 In Papua New Guinea, approximately 5000 adults** live within the Special Mining Lease area of Barrick Gold's Porgera mine. They are desperately seeking resettlement into another area that could provide them with the means to live the subsistence lifestyle that remains the livelihood of 75% of the country. Their requests have been denied by the company, which prefers to offer individual cash payments to villagers as their homes fall victim to waste-related landslides and police-instigated arson. |
| Breaches of Freedom of Association Rife at AngloGold, Barrick Gold Mines in Tanzania ICEM in Brief The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions workshops in Tanzania on 12-13 March reveal blatant abuses of freedom of association by subsidiary mining enterprises of AngloGold Ashanti and Barrick Gold. The workshops were done specifically for ICEM affiliate Tanzania Association of Mining and Construction Workers’ Union (TAMICO), under the auspices of ICEM’s Sub-Saharan African Regional Organisation (SSARO), with ICEM President Senzeni Zokwana and ICEM/SSARO staff person Fabian Nkomo leading the important sessions. |
| Official probe another setback for Barrick Gold’s Dominican mine Dominican Today The Labor Ministry launched an investigation today Friday to determine if the mining company Barrick Gold and its 34 subsidiaries are respecting their workers’ rights. |
| Papua New Guinea Government Passes Law to Protect Industries from Indigenous Law Suits Cultural Survival The Papua New Guinea legislature on May 28 amended sections of the country's Environment and Conservation Act to shield corporations from any responsibility for environmental damage caused by their operations, whether intentional or accidental. |
| Barrick Supported Police Who Carried Out Fiery Evictions in PNG by Valerie Croft, The Dominion Amnesty report confirms links between cops & Canadian mining company - Amnesty International (AI) recently made waves in human rights circles, publishing a new report focusing on Canadian mining giant Barrick Gold's role in violent forced evictions in the Porgera region of Papua New Guinea (PNG). |
 | Underground Diplomacy
by Sakura Saunders, editor protestbarrick.net, Dominion Paper June 2nd, 2010 An ongoing independence struggle has been overlooked by Canadian and US delegates as they push the Pakistani state to force Balochistan’s approval of the Barrick/Antofagasta mine. Meanwhile, in a move that the group American Friends of Balochistan say reveals insensitivity to the region’s politics, Barrick hired a Pakistani army colonel as its public affairs manager and head of security for its Balochistan mine project. Disregard for political conflict reveals an international diplomacy concerned primarily with profits, and is consistent with the actions of Canada and its corporate ambassadors in situations around the globe where mining profits conflict with human rights. |
| International miners in PNG should be more open says Resource Management expert Radio New Zealand May 21st, 2010 A Resource Management expert says that international miners such operating in Papua New Guinea, should be more open with scientific data about their operations. |
| PNG group’s Canadian jaunt exposes Porgera issue in international forum Radio New Zealand May 20th, 2010 Four locals from Porgera in Papua New Guinea’s Enga province have returned to the country after visiting Canada where they petitioned parliament to pass legislation that would enforce more accountability from Canadian companies overseas. |
| Indigenous leaders call for crackdown on Canadian mining companies abroad by Les Whittington, The Toronto Star May 5th, 2010 Indigenous leaders from Papua New Guinea came to Parliament Hill today to urge MPs to support legislation to clamp down on the practices of Canadian mining firms operating in the developing world. |
| Munk takes on mine protesters, defends capitalism: ‘We do not need your money,’ Indigenous Chilean woman tells Barrick Gold by John Spears, The Star April 28th, 2010 Mark Ekepa journeyed from Papua New Guinea to tell the shareholders of Barrick Gold Corp. how police had burned down his house near the Barrick’s Porgera mine. Idolia Bornones travelled from Chile to say that Barrick operations are damaging local glaciers and rivers. But Barrick chairman Peter Munk was unrepentant as he faced the company’s annual meeting. |
| Statement of Mark Ekepa, Chairman of the Porgera Landowners Association at Barrick’s Annual General Meeting April 28th, 2010 Statement of Mark Ekepa, Chairman of the Porgera Landowners Association at Barrick’s 2010 Annual General Meeting, held on April 28. |
| Statement of the Diaguita Huascoaltinos Indigenous and Agricultural Community, Chile April 28th, 2010 Statement of the Diaguita Huascoaltinos community, prepared for the 2010 Barrick annual general meeting held on April 28, 2010. |
| Barrick Gold year in Review: One Company, 9 Countries, Countless abuses by Sakura Saunders, editor protestbarrick.net April 26th, 2010 From mass poisonings and mass mobilizations in the Dominican Republic, to damning reports in PNG and Tanzania to lawsuits in Chile and the US, Barrick has had its hands full this year in dealing with mounting opposition to its mines. In this Year in Review, you'll find out the ways that Barrick has damaged communities around the world and the many ways that communities are fighting back and demanding justice. |
| Those Bricks Barrick Gold Dropped on Publishers by Philip Resnick, TheTyee.ca April 21st, 2010 How many readers of The Tyee or Canadians outside Quebec are aware that the same Barrick Corp., on whose board sit such eminences as Brian Mulroney, has been engaged in using SLAPPs -- Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation -- against two small presses, one in Quebec, one based in Vancouver, that have published or announced an intention to publish books that this august corporation finds offensive to its image? It took a March 25 op-ed article in Le Devoir, the independent Montreal daily (not beholden to the powerful media interests that control so many of Canada's leading newspapers) to alert me to the situation. |
| Barrick Gold Suit May Cut Nevada Mine Output by Half (Update3) by Joe Schneider, Bloomberg Barrick Gold Corp.’s plan to double production at a Nevada gold mine complex this year by digging out an additional $625 million in deposits may turn on a judge’s decision in an environmental suit by American Indian tribes. |
| Dominican Republic: Opposition to Barrick Gold Mining Operations by Rocio Diaz, Global Voices March 28th, 2010 In 2009, the Dominican people stood up to fight against a cement factory that would be installed in the Los Haitises National Park. In 2010, it appears that another cause is mobilizing thousands of young people and adults - the presence of the mining consortium Barrick Gold in Cotuí, the head municipality in the province of Sánchez Ramírez, which is home to one of the largest gold mines in the world: Pueblo Viejo (Old Town), with estimated reserves of 24 million troy ounces of gold. Activists are concerned about the terms of the agreement with the Dominican State, as well as environmental impacts on the region. |
| Dominicans say mining firm not honest about poisoning incident Trading Markets March 26th, 2010 A report on the recent poisoning of hundreds of Barrick Gold employees recommends the Dominican government amend its contract with the Canadian miner to ensure the country's interests are protected. |
| Senate Environment chief wants Barrick Gold contract reviewed Dominican Today March 16th, 2010 The head of the Senate’s Environmental Commission asked the Presidency to review the gold mining contract with the company Barrick Gold, to obtain better advantages and compensate affected communities. |
| analysis: Midas’s gold —Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur by Mir Mohammad Talpur, Daily Times March 1st, 2010 The powerless provincial government in Balochistan, if it has a modicum of decency, should quit immediately to absolve itself of the responsibility of exploitation and destruction of Balochistan’s resources and environment. |
 | HUASCOALTINOS CLAIM IS ADMITTED BY THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS: a statement from the Diaguita Huascoaltinos Diaguita Huascoaltinos Indigenous and Agricultural Community February 23rd, 2010 On February 12 we were notified that the request for our Diaguita Agricultural Community Los Huascoaltinos was deemed admissible by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). Thus, this international body recognizes that the Chilean state committed alleged violations of rights enshrined in the American Convention on Human Rights when Chile approved Barrick Gold’s Pascua Lama mining project. |
| Porgera Special Mining Lease (SML) Landowners Association Statement on Amnesty International Report February 7th, 2010 PLOA takes the first opportunity to welcome the Amnesty International (AI) report that tells the truth about police violence and forced evictions occurred during a Papua New Guinea police deployment in what has been purported to restore law and order in Porgera Enga Province Papua New Guinea between April and June 2009. |
| Amnesty links Toronto's Barrick Gold to house-burnings near mine by Saira Peesker, cp24.com February 3rd, 2010 Amnesty International has joined a chorus of voices criticizing a Canadian mining company's operations in Papua New Guinea, accusing it of supporting police as they burned down more than 100 homes near an open-pit gold mine. |
| Chile starts environmental probe into Pascua-Lama by Reporting by Fabian Cambero and Alonso Soto; editing by Jim Marshall, Rueters January 21st, 2010 Chilean environmental authorities said on Thursday it began a probe into the construction of top gold miner Barrick's massive Pascua-Lama project, which could lead to fines or even a revoked concession. |
 | Canada's Long Road to Mining Reform by Cyril Mychalejko, editor, Upside Down world, writing for Toward Freedom January 21st, 2010 Rape. Murder. Corruption. Environmental contamination. Impunity. These are just some of the charges and incidents that have plagued Canadian mining operations abroad for years. Now one Canadian lawmaker has taken on the Herculean challenge of legislating mining reform in a country that has traditionally acted like a parent in denial. |
 | Once Upon a Water Source by Jessie Boylan, http://jessieboylan.wordpress.com/2009/12/11/once-upon-a-water-source/ Freelance photojournalist, Jessie Boylan visits community impacted by Barrick Gold’s North Mara Mine in Tanzania after their land and lives were dramatically impacted by toxic contamination from a leakage at the mine site in May 2009. |
| Ban Barrick: Organizations demand to stop construction of Pascua Lama Radio Mundo Feminist, religious and environmental organizations in Chile issued a declaration on the extractive project Pascua Lama, carried out by Canadian mining transnational corporation Barrick Gold in Huasco province, Chile and San Juan province, Argentina. |
 | Raisani says no mining licence granted for Reko Dik project by Staff Correspondent , DAWN January 9th, 2010 A foreign company was granted a licence to explore copper and gold in the Reko Dik area but it was not allowed to mine the same, according to Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani. |
| Government Study: Chilean Gold Mine Threatens Local Glaciers by James Fowler, LA TERCERA, LA NACION via Santiago Times Canadian mining giant Barrick Gold, the owner of what would be Chile’s largest gold mine, Pascua Lama, could face legal sanctions after Chile’s national water commission (DGA) reported that the company is failing to comply with Chile’s environmental laws. |
 | US court blocks huge gold mine project in Nevada by SCOTT SONNER , Sacramento Bee/ Associated Press December 3rd, 2009 A federal appeals court on Thursday temporarily blocked construction of a massive gold mine project in northeast Nevada that critics say would harm the environment and ruin a mountain that several tribes consider sacred. In a rare legal setback for the mining industry in the nation's largest gold-producing state, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals granted an injunction to force Barrick Gold Corp. to postpone digging a 2,000-foot deep open pit at the Cortez Hills mine. |
| Miner accused of 'aggressive' tactics by Les Whittington and Brett Popplewell, Toronto Star November 25th, 2009 Testifying by video hookup at hearings of the House of Commons foreign affairs committee, Romina Picolotti singled out Toronto-based Barrick Gold Corp. as one of the multinationals that used political and economic clout to block government intervention in the firm's mining ventures in Argentina. |
| MPs told of gang rapes at mine by Les Whittington, Toronto Star November 24th, 2009 A usually sedate parliamentary hearing room was jolted with stories of alleged gang rape as MPs heard testimony about the operation of a Canadian-controlled gold mine in the South Pacific. |
| Canadian mining firms face abuse allegations by Brett Popplewell, The Toronto Star November 22nd, 2009 Canadian mining companies are facing allegations of abuse and assault on local citizens in dozens of developing nations. The companies say they have done nothing wrong – mining copper, gold and other metals brings only prosperity to these poor regions. Yet locals in countries like Ecuador allege some companies have used armed guards to violently trample their opposition to mines that threaten rainforests and their way of life. |
| Firm sues Government on mining contracts by Bernard James , The Citizen (Tanzania) November 11th, 2009 A constitutional petition has been filed in the High Court, seeking to have all the mining contracts entered into by the government without Parliament's approval declared null and avoid, in an effort to curb the plunder of the country's natural resources. |
| Sediment Study: Heavy Pollution found at Barrick Gold's mine in North Mara. Norwegian Church Aid November 7th, 2009 Here are the key findings of the study conducted by The Norwegian University of Life Sciences in cooperation with the University of Dar es Salaam to investigate the environmental impact of the mining activity in Geita (Anglo Gold Ashanti) and North Mara (Barrick Gold)mines. "Extremely high levels of arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, copper, crom, nickel and zinc at the area around the spill. The environment has been seriously contaminated". |
| Bunge braces for North Mara acid spillage report by ORTON KIISHWEKO, Daily News (Tanzania) November 2nd, 2009 MORE details on the findings of a study on possible water contamination due to acid seepage from the North Mara Gold Mine will be known when the final report on the matter is presented in Parliament in Dodoma next week. |
| Digging for Gold, Mining Corruption by John Lasker, Canadian Dimension October 29th, 2009 One of Africa’s Poorest and Most Embattled Countries is Prey to Canadian Mining Companies Searching for the Last Great Gold mine. |
 | Illegal transit of trucks to Pascua Lama: by Huasco Valley communities and organizations that defend life and water October 28th, 2009 The undersigned organizations denounce new abuses of the mining company Barrick Gold against Huasco Valley community, abuse involving breach of the law but are made in collusion with police and other state institutions. |
| Sarah Knuckey (Lawyer, Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, New York University School of Law) before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (FAAE) by Sarah Knuckey (Lawyer, Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, New York University School of Law), Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (FAAE) Since 2006 Ms. Knuckey has traveled to Papua New Guinea, or PNG, three times, and I twice, to investigate personally the impact of the Porgera Joint Venture, or PJV, mine, majority-owned and operated by Canadian mining interests since its inception. Today we speak about security and human rights at the PJV mine and discuss why Bill C-300 is particularly important when independent investigations have failed to materialize despite consistent allegations of abuse. |
| Mr. Tyler Giannini (Harvard Law School) before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (FAAE) by Mr. Tyler Giannini (Lecturer on Law, International Human Rights Clinic, Harvard Law School), Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (FAAE) October 20th, 2009 Since 2006 Ms. Knuckey has traveled to Papua New Guinea, or PNG, three times, and I twice, to investigate personally the impact of the Porgera Joint Venture, or PJV, mine, majority-owned and operated by Canadian mining interests since its inception. Today we speak about security and human rights at the PJV mine and discuss why Bill C-300 is particularly important when independent investigations have failed to materialize despite consistent allegations of abuse. |
 | CIDA's Anti-oversight Agenda by Sakura Saunders, editor, ProtestBarrick.net October 15th, 2009 |
| Tanzania's pot of gold by Khadija Sharife, PAMBAZUKA NEWS, Issue 450 October 1st, 2009 Tanzania is sitting on top of a US$39 billion ‘pot of gold’, Khadija Sharife writes in Pambazuka News, but unless the government can capture a more just proportion of royalties and taxes from the multi-nationals with concessions to mine the commodity, the country, one of the ten poorest in the world, is likely to get poorer still. |
 | Elusive justice Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism September 30th, 2009 |
| Pollution lawsuit against Barrick reinstated by SANDY SHORE, Associated Press September 30th, 2009 A federal appeals court has reinstated a nearly four-year-old lawsuit accusing a subsidiary of Barrick Gold Corp. of polluting water and land for decades in a province of the Philippines. |
| Light a Candle for Baluchistan: Baluch protest exploitation of Barrick Gold by Ahmar Mustikhan, American Friends of Baluchistan A man who is on the council of the prestigious Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars was part of an alleged racket in cahoots with a Toronto-based international gold giant that has reportedly resulted in billions of dollars of losses to Baluchistan. |
| Independent researchers detect high levels of pollution around North Mara gold mine by DAMAS MWITA , This Day Tanzania July 14th, 2009 INDEPENDENT experts have confirmed the presence of high levels of toxic chemicals in the area surrounding Barrick Gold Corp's North Mara gold mine in Tarime District, Mara Region. Download the full report here. |
| The President, the Gold Mine and the Politics of Greed
by JEFFREY ST. CLAIR , CounterPunch July 11th, 2009 At the precise moment George H. W. Bush, famous sky-diver, burst back into the headlines by renouncing his long-standing and ill-used membership in the National Rifle Association, the putative architect of the New World Order quietly sold his services to a much more invidious enterprise: American Barrick Resources Company. |
| Govt under pressure to close down Barrick mine This Day Tanzania July 10th, 2009 PUBLIC pressure is mounting on the Government to shut down operations at Barrick Gold Corp’s North Mara Gold Mine in Tarime District, Mara Region pending an ongoing investigation into reports of potentially deadly health hazards caused by the mine. |
| Tanzania Government bans water use near Barrick mine Intercontinental Cry July 9th, 2009 The Tanzania government has banned the use of water from the Tigithe River, which may be contaminated with Sulphiric acid used by the Canadian company Barrick Gold at their North Mara Gold Mine in the Tarime discrict. |
| Barrick's Tanzania N Mara Mine Probed On Pollution Allegation by Nicholas Bariyo, Dow Jones Newswire July 7th, 2009 Tanzanian lawmakers have started investigating allegations of pollution made against Barrick Gold Corp.'s (ABX) North Mara Gold Mine, officials said Tuesday. |
| Crt Backs Tanzanian Miners In Case Against Barrick - Official by Nicholas Bariyo, Dow Jones July 7th, 2009 The Tanzanian labor court has forwarded a wrongful dismissal claim from about 700 ex-miners of Tanzania Bulyanhulu Gold Mine to the labor commissioner, a union official told Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday. |
| Mine expansion delayed by Indigenous owners by Simon Butler, GreenLeft Weekly July 4th, 2009 The NSW Supreme court of appeal ruled on July 1 that a planned expansion of the Lake Cowal gold mine in the central-west of NSW cannot go ahead for up to three months. |
| MPs fume at river acid spill by LEONARD MWAKALEBELA, Daily News TZ June 30th, 2009 Members of Parliament yesterday called for immediate formation of a probe team to investigate the cause, magnitude and effects of the recent discharge of acid materials into River Tigiti in Tarime District from the North Mara Gold Mine. |
| Fresh storm over tax 'negotiations' by Orton Kiishweko June 15th, 2009 The Government's decision to negotiate with mining companies operating in the country before revoking the tax exemptions they enjoy has provoked widespread backlash. |
| Barrick Gold hit by 5.8bn/- suit by small-scale miner June 14th, 2009 A CIVIL suit in which a small-scale miner is demanding more than 6.5bn/- in damages from Barrick Gold Corp’s North Mara gold mine is set to come up before the High Court’s Land Division in Dar es Salaam next month. |
| PNG, Australian governments respond to abuse claims by Annie Guest, ABC Australia - The World Today June 11th, 2009 The Australian Government has rejected demands that it intervene in disputes around a Papua New Guinea gold mine where there have been allegations of shootings, rapes and homes being torched. |
| Guards accused of assaulting workers by Nick O'Malley, Sydney Morning Herald June 10th, 2009 VILLAGERS are keeping a list of the dozens of people they say have been killed or assaulted by police and security forces guarding a goldmine in Papua New Guinea run by the multinational, Australian-based Canadian mining company, Barrick Gold. |
| A walk through the valley of death by Nick O'Malley, Sydney Morning Herald June 9th, 2009 Violence surrounding a PNG mine raises questions about the company's responsibility, writes Nick O'Malley. |
| Native Americans Ask Court to Stop Gold Mine on Sacred Mountain by Lisa J. Wolf, Environment News Service June 6th, 2009 The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments Wednesday on whether the Canadian corporation Barrick Gold will be allowed to construct and operate an open pit gold mine on Mt. Tenabo in Nevada. The mine is planned on lands that are culturally and spiritually significant to the Western Shoshone native people. |
 | Barrick Gold colonel invites Baluch ire by Ahmar Mustikhan, Newsvine June 5th, 2009 The De Jure Ruler of Baluchistan, Khan of Kalat Suleman Daud, and national hero Hairbyair Marri have expressed their deep resentments over the remarks of a Pakistani army colonel working for Barrick Gold Corporation against the Baluch struggle for their national rights. |
| Bill C-300: A step forward on corporate social responsibility by Marie-Claude Poirier, Vue Weekly (Edmonton) May 27th, 2009 In the autumn of 2005, Norway's Council on Ethics began investigating the use of a natural river system to transport and dispose of mine waste in Papua New Guinea. Accused of far-reaching environmental destruction, Canadian mining company Barrick Gold and its Porgera mine's tailings disposal system were placed under close scrutiny. |
| UNPFII: Intervention by Jethro Tulin, Executive Officer of Akali Tange Association (Porgera, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea) by Jethro Tulin, Akali Tange Association, PNG May 27th, 2009 Intervention by Jethro Tulin, Executive Officer of Akali Tange Association (Porgera, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea) at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues |
| ** BARRICK MINING DISASTERS - Emergency Funds Needed ** May 21st, 2009 This has been a crazy past few weeks to be watchdogging Barrick Gold. Within the first week of starting our annual ProtestBarrick tour in Toronto, a Barrick-recommended military force in PNG started to torch hundreds of houses, allegedly to clear way for mine expansion. SO... we changed plans a bit, MiningWatch Canada sent an Urgent Appeal to several United Nations Special Rapporteurs and now we are now attending the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York! Amnesty International has also made a public statement on the recent events at Porgera. |
| Families want payout from gold firm by Patty Magubira, Mwanza , The Citizen May 20th, 2009 The North Mara Gold Mine (NMGM) has been given ten days in which to compensate members of 30 households claiming to have been affected by its poisonous heavy metals. |
| Tanzania Government Probes North Mara Gold Mine Over River Pollution by Nicholas Bariyo, Dow Jones Newswire The Tanzanian government is investigating the operations at North Mara Gold Mine following a chemical spill at the mine last week which polluted the nearby Tigithe river leaving thousands of residents without water for domestic use, a government official told Dow Jones Newswires Tuesday. |
| Tanzania: Seeping Water from Mine Stokes Health Scare Trading Markets May 18th, 2009 Water from a storage pond at Barrick Gold's North Mara mine in Tanzania is seeping through containing walls, leading local villagers to fear their water sources are contaminated. |
| Activists Try to Block Start of Pascua Lama Mine by Daniela Estrada , Inter Press Service News Agency May 18th, 2009 As Canadian mining giant Barrick Gold gets ready to start construction at the Pascua Lama mine, straddling the Argentine-Chilean border, activists in Chile are scrambling to block the ambitious mining project while calling for an investigation of supposed irregularities committed in the approval process. |
| Some Canadian companies could lose government support by Peter Zimonjic, http://www.edmontonsun.com/news/canada/2009/05/16/9480926-sun.html May 16th, 2009 Canadian companies deemed to be bad corporate citizens abroad could lose political and financial support from the federal government under a proposed law to be studied by MPs next week. |
 | RoyalOr Stakes a Claim on Mont-Royal May 15th, 2009 RoyalOr is composed of members of various communities around the world confronting projects developed by Canadian mining companies — including Barrick Gold, Goldcorp, New Gold, and Osisko. Affected community representatives came to Montreal from the Valle de Siria, Honduras; Valle de Huasco, Chile; Porgera, Papua New Guinea; San Luis Potosi, Mexico; and Malartic, Quebec. |
| Under Andean ice, a golden prize AFP May 15th, 2009 An ambitious gold mining project in northern Chile, high up in the Andes close to ancient glaciers, is finally getting underway amid the economic downturn despite fears from environmentalists. |
| Barrick fights public relations battle in Papua New Guinea Northern Miner May 12th, 2009 While Barrick Gold has decided to push ahead and build the Pascua Lama mine atop the Andean glaciers straddling Chile and Argentina, it is dealing with headaches on the ground in the highlands of tropical Papua New Guinea. |
| Papua New Guinea: Forced Evictions and destruction of property by Police in Porgera must end Amnesty International May 11th, 2009 Amnesty International calls for immediate action to protect more than 1,000 people who have been left homeless after police officials in Papua New Guinea forcibly evicted them by burning down their homes. |
| Porgera mine area landowners need relocating, says PNG Enga Governor by Peter Ipatas , Radio New Zealand International May 8th, 2009 The Governor of Papua New Guinea’s Enga Province says the national government and operators of the Porgera gold mine need to look at relocating people who live within Porgera’s Special Mining Lease, SML, area. |
| Barrick's Pascua Lama project denounced as illegal May 7th, 2009 Barrick Gold Corporation announced today that its Pascua-Lama project, situated on the border of Chile and Argentina, is proceeding to construction. Community leaders and legal experts from Chile and Argentina – currently in Canada as part of an international delegation – responded to Barrick's announcement today by denouncing this project as illegal and lacking the social license to operate. |
| MEDIA RELEASE: Indigenous Leaders from Papua New Guinea, Chile Raise Serious Human Rights and Environmental Concerns Around Barrick Gold Operations Mining Watch Canada May 6th, 2009 Even as houses near Barrick's mine in the highlands of Papua New Guinea are being burned down in a joint military and police action, Jethro Tulin is in Canada to address shareholders and government officials, whom he considers complicit in the suffering of his people as a result of Barrick's Porgera Joint Venture mine. |
| Barrick Gold and Diaguita Huascoaltinos People. (a background submitted to the Canadian Parliament by the Diaguita Huascoaltinos community) http://huascoaltinos.cl/ May 5th, 2009 The Diaguita Huascoaltinos Agricultural Community is the heir to the lands that their ancestors have inhabited since time immemorial: the valleys and mountains of the Huasco Valley. This valley is located at the southern end of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, and it is characterized by special natural and cultural qualities. Our community is made up of 250 families of indigenous farmers and shepherds of the Huasco Valley, and it is the only indigenous community in Chile that has a domain title recognized by the Chilean State over their ancestral lands. While other indigenous groups live in the Huasco Valley, none of them have this territorial basis. |
| STATEMENT: Testimony of Sergio Campusano, prepared for Barrick Gold's 2009 Annual General Meeting |
| MEDIA RELEASE: Indigenous Leaders confront Barrick Gold April 29th, 2009 Indigenous leaders from Papua New Guinea and Chile traveled to Canada this week to attend the April 29 shareholders’ meeting of Barrick Gold. Here, they will confront Barrick about human rights abuses and environmental degradation on their lands. |
 | A SLAPP in the Face: Reaping Abroad, Sowing Shut Mouths At Home
by DELPHINE ABADIE, ALAIN DENEAULT, WILLIAM SACHER, http://www.alternatives.ca/auteur1277.html In January, the Norwegian government decided to exclude Canada’s Barrick Gold from its pensions investment fund, deeming the activities of the mining company in Papua New Guinea as “an unacceptable risk of extensive and irreversible damage to the natural environment.” This sort of indictment is not unique; Canadian mining multinationals in Africa face numerous allegations of environmental damage. Worse, their reputation for a lack of ecological respect pales in comparison to their other alleged activities, such as the violent confiscation of property, tax evasion, corruption, and the financing of armed conflicts. |
| Western Shoshone gather at NV mountain being mined by Martin Griffith, Associated Press April 18th, 2009 Dozens of Western Shoshone tribal members and activists are holding an annual ceremonial event on the flank of a northern Nevada mountain that is at the heart of their legal battle against the world's biggest gold mining company. |
| MEDIA RELEASE: 28 peaceful protesters arrested after authorisation to occupy mine site April 12th, 2009 28 protesters were arrested this morning at Barrick Gold's mine operation in Lake Cowal, central western New South Wales. They were authorised to enter the mine site by Wiradjuri Tradtional Owners of Lake Cowal and its surrounds. |
 | MEDIA ALERT: Smoking ceremony, blockade and protesters occupy open cut pit halting mine operations. April 12th, 2009 Wiradjuri Traditional Owners and supporters are inside Barrick Gold’s mine operation in Lake Cowal central western New South Wales currently halting operations. Wiradjuri are conducting a smoking ceremony inside the mine site. Over 10,000 artefacts have been stolen and kept by Barrick Gold Corporation at the mine site in a compound encircled by a 6 foot fence. Over 25 supporters are currently occupying the open-cut pit and several others are blockading the front gate to prevent shift change. |
| Indigenous activisits protest gold mine expansion
Radio Australia News April 11th, 2009 In Australia, indigenous campaigners are holding a weekend-long protest to try to force the closure of a gold mine in central New South Wales. |
| MEDIA RELEASE: Protesters to halt mining operations - unsustainable mining harms Australia April 11th, 2009 Concerned citizens have gathered in solidarity with Wiradjuri Traditional Owners of the Lake Cowal area to halt Barrick Gold Corporation’s mine operation in the lake. The campaign to Save Lake Cowal has been running for 10 years, this is the seventh gathering at Lake Cowal to protest the mine. |
| Enga Governor opposes PNG military presence at Porgera Radio New Zealand International April 10th, 2009 The Governor of Enga province in Papua New Guinea says the government’s decision to deploy members of the Defence Force and police to Porgera is not in the best interest of the local people. |
 | MEDIA RELEASE: Wiradjuri and Supporters Say No to Mine Expansion April 10th, 2009 What: Lake Cowal Gathering: No Expansion! Shut Barrick Gold’s Mine Down! When: 10-13 April 2009 Where: Lake Cowal, central western New South Wales From the 10-13 April up to 100 people from around Australia will make the journey to Lake Cowal in central western NSW to support Wiradjuri Traditional Owners in their 10 year campaign against the worlds largest gold miner. |
| PNG to boost security around gold mine by Liam Fox, ABC News April 9th, 2009 The Papua New Guinea Government is boosting security to deal with lawlessness around a gold mine in the Papua New Guinea highlands. |
| Porgera security ops set to kick off by David Muri, The National – Papua New Guinea April 6th, 2009 INTERNAL Security Minister Sani Rambi says more than 300 security personnel will be deployed to the strife-torn Porgera valley in Enga province to flush out warlords and stop illegal mining activities. |
| Corporate Social Responsibility Rules for Mining Industry Blasted: Barrick Gold Implicated by Lee Berthiaume, Embassy Magazine April 1st, 2009 The Conservative government has rejected joint civil society-private sector calls to tie diplomatic and economic support for Canadian oil, gas and mining companies operating in developing countries to socially responsible conduct abroad. As a result, there are charges the government—allegedly influenced by mining giant Barrick Gold and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce—has given the green light for misbehaviour abroad, and killed the temporary peace between NGOs and mining companies. |
| CHILE: MINING GIANT BARRICK A NO-SHOW AT ENVIRO DEBATE by Lucy McDonald-Stewart, Santiago Times March 27th, 2009 Canadian gold-mining company Barrick Gold backed out of a debate on its Pascua Lama project 20 minutes before it was scheduled to begin on Tuesday at the campus of the Adolfo Ibanez University. |
| Attacks on gold mine worry Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) by Felix Mwera, Musoma, The Citizen (Tanzania) March 18th, 2009 The Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) has expressed its concern about the frequent attacks on the North Mara Gold Mine by neighbouring villagers. |
| UN to tackle mercury menace by MICHAEL RICHARDSON, The Canberra Times March 3rd, 2009 Fear sparked by global recession, strains on banks and volatile paper currencies has brought the glitter back to gold. Its value has been rising rapidly in recent months, as investors seek a safe-haven from the economic and financial storm. |
| PNG Govt bolsters gold mine security by Steve Marshall, ABC February 27th, 2009 Soldiers and police in Papua New Guinea are being sent into the country's highlands to help tackle a deteriorating security situation near a huge gold mine. |
| Western Shoshone activist urges attention to mining’s destruction of tribal heritage by Carol Berry, Today correspondent, Indian Country Today February 26th, 2009 Carrie Dann, iconic voice for Western Shoshone traditionalists, told an audience that Mount Tenabo in northeast Nevada sits atop gold deposits worth $8 billion to the mining industry, but it is central to tribal religious practices and “a lot of our creation stories stem from there.” |
| Harry Reid, Gold Member by Josh Harkinson, Mother Jones February 24th, 2009 Elko is the wind-blasted heart of Nevada's mining country. The five surrounding counties produce all of the state's copper, almost a third of its silver, and nearly 90 percent of its gold. In 2007, mines in Nevada extracted nearly 190 tons of gold-three times the total yield in all other states. Only China, Australia, and South Africa dig up more. A billboard on the edge of town proclaims in a Victorian scrawl, "Discover the new economic gold rush." |
 | Blows to Barrick by Sakura Saunders, editor protestbarrick.net February 21st, 2009 Norway's Ministry of Finance announced January 30 that it would exclude mining giant Barrick Gold from the country's pension fund for ethical reasons. One week later, another victory against Barrick in Australia occurred when a judge ruled in favor or Wiradjuri Traditional Owner, Neville "Chappy" Williams, in granting an injunction restraining the proposed expansion of Barrick Gold's mine in Lake Cowal, New South Wales. More significant than the $200 million divested from Barrick, or the delay in Lake Cowal mine's expansion, is the context that these rulings expose: one of deliberate deceit on the part of Barrick Gold, now Canada's largest publicly-traded company. |
| Middle East & Africa:
Mining – Tarnishing Canada’s name Ethical Corporation February 10th, 2009 With many African mining firms about to face bankruptcy, foreign investors’ ability to creating sustainable mining communities will be tested. Shielded from public view by their giant rivals BHP Billiton and AngloAmerican, a cluster of small Canadian firms has quietly revolutionised African mining. |
| The Real Price of Gold by Brook Larmer, National Geographic February 10th, 2009 Like many of his Inca ancestors, Juan Apaza is possessed by gold. Descending into an icy tunnel 17,000 feet up in the Peruvian Andes, the 44-year-old miner stuffs a wad of coca leaves into his mouth to brace himself for the inevitable hunger and fatigue. For 30 days each month Apaza toils, without pay, deep inside this mine dug down under a glacier above the world's highest town, La Rinconada. For 30 days he faces the dangers that have killed many of his fellow miners—explosives, toxic gases, tunnel collapses—to extract the gold that the world demands. |
| Barrick Australia says it will push ahead with plans to expand its Cowal Gold Mine at West Wyalong, despite a loss in the New South Wales Land and Environment Court. ABC Central West NSW February 10th, 2009 Barrick Gold has submitted a proposal to modify its development consent at the mine to almost double its size and extend its life by 11 years. Native title applicant Neville Williams started court action against the plan last November. On Friday, the Land and Environment Court upheld Mr Williams' challenge that the project is not a modification of the mine's existing development consent, but rather a radical transformation. |
| Norway's sovereign wealth fund drops yet another mining investment; this time it's Barrick by Dorothy Kosich, Mineweb February 2nd, 2009 A dispute over the riverine disposal methods utilized by Barrick's Porgera Mine in Papua New Guinea has prompted Norway's Ministry of Finance to drop Barrick from Norway's Government Pension Fund-Global investments, valued at $188.3 million. |
| Is Gold the duddest of dud investments? Commodity Online February 2nd, 2009 Everyone is buying gold. The frantic pace with which people are buying gold have prompted some to comment that gold has lost value as a commodity. According to Merrill Lynch, gold is "the duddest of dud investments." Ever since the U.S. dollar went off the gold standard, gold has had no special value as a commodity, with only 280 tons going to industrial uses per year. |
| Super Pit mine expansion approved
Perth Now AN expansion of the Super Pit gold mine in Kalgoorlie has won government approval but it must meet new and stringent environmental conditions. |
| Judge refuses to halt huge Nevada gold mine by Scott Sonner, Associated Press January 26th, 2009 A federal judge ruled Monday a massive gold mine project could proceed in northeast Nevada despite a bid by a Western tribe and conservationists to block it on religious and environmental grounds. |
| Western Shoshone and Paiute Protests by Brenda Norrell, The Narcosphere January 20th, 2009 Western Shoshone gathered demonstrated outside federal court in Reno today, demanding that Barrick Gold halt destruction of the area of Mount Tenabo, their sacred mountain. Nearby at Pyramid Lake on Saturday, about 150 Paiutes and supporters gathered to protest. Paiutes said the Pyramid Lake Marina operator has held Paiutes and their cultural items "hostage." |
| Hearing begins in Reno on disputed gold mine by Sandra Chereb, MercuryNews.com January 20th, 2009 Western Shoshone tribal members packed a Reno courtroom Tuesday, trying to persuade a federal judge to halt at least part of a huge gold mine they claim would desecrate a sacred landmark. |
| Growing Barrick: Regent grabs the challenge by Lori McLeod, Globe and Mail January 10th, 2009 Barrick Gold became a world beater through a steady stream of acquisitions. It's now the world's biggest, and the new CEO intends to keep it that way |
 | Meeting with Partners at Porgera Mine in Papua New Guinea by Catherine Coumans, MiningWatch Canada January 2nd, 2009 In November 2008 MiningWatch Canada’s Catherine Coumans had the opportunity to meet with partners at Barrick Gold’s Porgera Mine in the Papua New Guinea Highlands (Enga Province). Our partners are the grassroots human rights group called Akali Tange Association (ATA) and the Porgera Landowners Association (PLOA). These two organizations created a joint organization called Porgera Alliance this year. |
| All that glitters by Alex Felipe (photos by Alex Felipe as well), This Magazine Admitting that I was a Canadian has never been as difficult as when I traveled to the Philippines to photograph two Canadian-owned open-pit mining sites last winter. The fact that I am also Filipino by blood didn't help. |
| Worst Companies in the World: US, Monsanto, Peabody and Barrick by Brenda Norrell, The Narcosphere The United States was voted the Worst Company in the World, followed by Monsanto, Peabody Energy Corp. and Barrick Gold |
| New Barrick CEO looking at all M&A options by Cameron French, Reuters December 24th, 2008 Aaron Regent, named as the next chief executive of top gold producer Barrick Gold (ABX.TO) on Tuesday, plans to maintain the company's focus on growth through corporate takeovers, and says he would be open to looking at all opportunities that present themselves. |
| Mining giants unfazed by `voluntary corporate tax theory` by Angel Navuri, Guardian Prospects that some major gold mining companies in Tanzania would follow Barrick Gold Tanzania exemplary of ``goodwill gesture`` of paying advance corporate tax look imminently hard to pin down. |
| Accord reached over Nev. mine until court hearing Associated Press December 15th, 2008 Lawyers for Barrick Gold Corp., environmentalists and a group of Western Shoshone have agreed what work can proceed at a new Nevada mine until a hearing is held next month on efforts to restrict the project. |
| Tanzanian journalist uncovers truth about mining industry by Cailey McDermott, The Echo December 15th, 2008 ProtestBarrick.net supporter and investigative journalist, Evans Rubara speaks about the exploitation of Tanzanian land and people by multinational mining industries in a speaking tour in the US. |
| Intruders attempt to seize North Mara mine The Guardian December 13th, 2008 A person was shot dead when thousands of gold seekers invaded Barrick`s North Mara Gold Mine in Tarime District and destroyed equipment worth 15 million US dollars.
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| Barrick considering pulling out by Correspondent Njonanje Samwel, Guardian December 5th, 2008 The giant mining firm Barrick Gold Tanzania has said it is considering halting its operations in the country. Barrick Vice President, Africa Region, Gareth Taylor told this paper in an interview yesterday, shortly after he attended a workshop to launch the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) held in Dar es Salaam, a global mining `watchdog`. |
| Barrick Holds Media-only Holiday Party by Chris Daniels, PR Week December 1st, 2008 While many companies have canned their Christmas parties, Barrick Gold invited journalists to its media-only Christmas party via online video. |
| ARGENTINA: Frustration Over Veto of Glacier Protection Law by Marcela Valente, http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=44898 November 29th, 2008 The decision by the administration of Cristina Fernández to veto a law to protect Argentina's glaciers -- important reserves of freshwater -- has caused deep concern among scientists and environmentalists who participated in writing the legislation. |
| Mining policy overhaul urgently needed in Tanzania This Day November 25th, 2008 LAST week an international human rights and business conduct watch dog, Business and Human Rights Centre, published on its website two statements from the country’s two leading mining sector multinational corporations. |
| Opponents file suit to stop Barrick's Cortez Hills gold project by Dorothy Kosich, Mineweb November 25th, 2008 A Western Shoshone group, environmentalists and other activists seek to halt one of Nevada’s last major gold projects, Barrick’s million-ounce per year Cortez Hills Gold Project. |
| Shoshone Indians Sue to Stop Barrick's Nevada Gold Mine by By Lisa J. Wolf , Environment News Service November 25th, 2008 Five tribal and public interest parties filed a lawsuit in Nevada Federal Court on Thursday, seeking an immediate injunction to stop one of the largest open pit cyanide heap leach gold mines in the United States - the Cortez Hills Expansion Project on Mt. Tenabo. |
| Africa Files November 24th, 2008 Special issue on Canadian role in mining in Canada -- Resource Extraction |
| Dangerous Duty in Papua New Guinea by Sakura Saunders, The Dominion November 22nd, 2008 Community members get "the opposite of what was promised" from Barrick Gold |
| Barrick Gold ready to carve up Western Shoshone sacred mountain by Brenda Norrell, The Narcosphere November 21st, 2008 Barrick Gold, coring out mountains around the world for small amounts of gold, is ready to carve the sacred mountain of the Western Shoshone into a crater, with cyanide leaching. |
| Mining and colonial practices in Tanzania - The return of Victorian era exploitation? by Evans Rubara, Africa Files November 20th, 2008 Multinational mining activities are introducing another era of colonialism in Tanzania as they hold major decisive positions on the use of prime land areas, and profit greatly from the mining of valuable mineral resources. In the recent past, Tanzanians have raised concerns on how the multinational mining companies plunder the natural resources at the expense of the local people. Because of the prevalent high rates of this pillaging of the national stock of natural resources, the citizenry have woken with an uproar to question the government’s stance on ensuring land security for its people, and benefits from their resources. |
| Don't cry for me Argentina's glaciers The Great Beyond November 17th, 2008 Argentina’s president, Cristina Fernandez, has just vetoed a bill to protect the country’s glaciers, reports Reuters. The bill was passed only a month ago by Argentina’s congress. |
| December Court Challenge to more Mining at Lake Cowal ABC Online November 17th, 2008 The case against the State Government and the mine's operator, Barrick Australia Limited, made by Neville Williams, has been listed for hearing on Monday, December 17. |
| Caretakers of the Land by Meg Hewings, The Dominion November 16th, 2008 For the Western Shoshone, an indigenous nation with an unceded Treaty covering a large swath of 60 million acres of ancestral territory stretching across Nevada, California, Idaho and Utah, their traditional homeland is better described as a war zone. |
| Environmentalists Decry Argentina Presidential Veto of Bill That Halted $2.4 Billion Mine with Chile Latin American Herald Tribune November 15th, 2008 Environmental groups expressed their displeasure with the decision by Argentine President Cristina Fernandez to veto a glacier-protection bill that would have restricted mining and oil drilling. |
| Argentina vetoes glacier law that curbed mining Reuters November 14th, 2008 Argentina's president has vetoed a law protecting the country's glaciers that would have restricted mining and oil drilling, officials and environmental campaigners said on Friday. |
| Union, delegate fined for illegal strike at Lake Cowal The Age October 21st, 2008 A UNION has been fined $8000 and one of its delegates penalised $1100 over an illegal strike at the Lake Cowal gold mine nearly three years ago. |
 | Requiem for Reko Diq by Mir Mohammad Ali Talpur, DAWN September 30th, 2008 Since 1947, successive governments at the centre have pursued a policy of intimidation and coercion towards the Baloch. Most provincial governments have played the disgraceful role of legitimising and lending respectability to army operations, forced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, incarcerations and the acquisition of land. The goal has been to coerce the population into acquiescence so that exploitation can be conducted in a threat-free environment. Of late, much-publicised mega projects are actually depriving the Baloch of their resources and said to be adversely changing the demographic balance in the province. |
| PASCUA LAMA UPDATE: Project mired in conflict olca.cl September 4th, 2008 Construction of the Pascua Lama mine, which straddles the border between Chile and Argentina, was scheduled to begin two years ago. But the lucrative project remains on hold while a dispute continues between the governments of Chile and Argentina regarding taxation. |
| Mining Prohibition Repealed in La Rioja, Argentina by Assembly of Citizens for Life, La Rioja, www.ciudadanosporlavida.com.ar August 11th, 2008 Legislators have repealed a year-old law which had prohibited open-pit metals mining in the province of La Rioja, Argentina. Provincial laws Nº 8137, 8138 were passed in March of 2007 in a widespread struggle carried out in La Rioja against a Barrick project in the Famatina mountain range in this arid agricultural province. |
| US and Canada Found Guilty of Racism by Haider Rizvin, Inter Press Service August 8th, 2008 UNITED NATIONS - The international community now fully recognises the native peoples' right to protect their lands and live distinct lifestyles. Yet, most of the world's 370 million indigenous peoples continue to face abuse and injustices at the hands of state authorities and commercial concerns. |
| Killing of local boy at Barrick Gold Porgera mine creates crisis by MPI and Akali Tange Association July 29th, 2008 On the evening of July 22nd, Barrick security guards open fired on the local villages using high powered assault raffles, M16 and shot guns on the harmless villages. The reckless use of excessive force has resulted in instant shot to death of the late Gipson Umbi. In the last few weeks, three more locals have been recorded death under mysteries circumstances at the mine site. |
| Meeting Crashers: Anti-mining activists confront shareholders at AGM by Veronica Islas, http://www.dominionpaper.ca/articles/1921 July 14th, 2008 It was the first time that Mexican Congressman Armando Barreiro, historian Juan Carlos Ruiz Guadalajara and hydraulic engineer Mario Martinez visited Toronto, but this trip was not a vacation. |
| Barrick fined $25,000 for 2006 tailings spill by ANDREW HOBBS, The West Australian July 7th, 2008 Canadian gold company Barrick will pay a $25,000 fine issued by the Department of Environment and Conservation for an environmental incident occurring at its Kanowna operations in November 2006. |
| Peru mines hit by nationwide mining strike by By Dana Ford and Teresa Cespedes, Reuters July 1st, 2008 Workers at several big mines in Peru went on strike Monday and joined a nationwide walkout, hoping to pressure Congress to pass a bill that would give them a greater share of profits from sky-high metals prices. |
| Peru Set To Strike by By Greg Peel, FN Arena June 30th, 2008 Some 47 unions in Peru were preparing to strike at midnight on Sunday, Reuters reports, in order to influence the Peruvian Congress to approve a law which would eliminate limits on profit sharing. Mine workers have watched as Peru's economy has boomed over the past six years, but say they are not getting a fair share of the profits. |
 | Bachelet Protested during her Berkeley Visit by David Moderbach June 12th Chilean president Michele Bachelet visited Berkeley, California and was met by some 30 persons protesting Chilean treatment of Mapuche communities, hydroelectric dams, and against Bachelet's support for Big Mining and Barrick Gold. |
 | Freedom of expression under attack: Écosociété hit by a SLAPP |
| Video Presentation of Sergio Campusano during '08 protestbarrick tour. (en español) by Sergio Campusano, Diaguita Huascoaltinos Indigenous and Agricultural Community May 15th, 2008 |
| Barrick Gold’s Porgera mine in Papua New Guinea linked to grave human rights abuses, environmental impacts
by http://www.miningwatch.ca/index.php?/porgera/porgera_linked_to_abuse May 12th, 2008 Indigenous leaders from Papua New Guinea travel to Canada to speak out about mine-related killings and severe impacts on their rivers, food security, and health. |
| Barrick Gold censors Indigenous Leaders' opposition to gold mining on their lands May 7th, 2008 A delegation of Indigenous leaders travelled around the world to attend the Barrick Gold Annual General Meeting in Toronto today. They came to vent their opposition to Barrick Gold's mining practices on their lands. |
| ACTION ALERT: Protesters Demand Accountability Outside Barrick Gold's AGM May 6th, 2008 On 6 May protesters gathered outside Barrick Gold's Annual General Meeting to protest the companies destructive mining operations around the world. |
 | International Indigenous leaders attend Barrick Gold's Shareholder's meeting May 6th, 2008 Indigenous leaders from Papua New Guinea, Australia, and the United States traveled to Canada this week to attend the shareholders’ meeting of Barrick Gold. Here, they will make statements about Barrick's operations on their lands. |
| International Indigenous leaders attend Barrick Gold's Shareholder's meeting May 6th, 2008 Indigenous leaders from Papua New Guinea, Australia, and the United States traveled to Canada this week to attend the shareholders’ meeting of Barrick Gold. Here, they will make statements about Barrick's operations on their lands. |
| CHILE INDIGENOUS POLICY REPORT SLAMS CELCO AND PASCUA LAMA PROJECTS by Matt Malinowski, Santiago Times April 30th, 2008 Authors Say Recent Government-Backed Policy Reforms Fall Short The Chilean government’s approval of large-scale business projects — including forestry company CELCO’s waste duct to the Pacific Ocean and mining company Barrick Gold's Pascua Lama gold mine in the Andes mountains — now represent the most severe threat to the country's indigenous communities, according to a report filed last week by Chile's Observatory for Indigenous Rights (ODPI). |
| Barrick Sues Book Publisher Over African Allegations by Joe Schneider, Bloomberg April 30th, 2008 Barrick Gold Corp., the world's biggest gold producer, sued a Quebec publisher for C$6 million ($5.95 million) in damages over a book that claims the company was linked to crimes in Africa. |
 | 7th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
Agenda Item 5 on human rights: dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights and fundamental freedoms of indigenous people and other special rapporteurs
I April 29th, 2008 ntervention of Friends of the Earth International by Mooka and Kalara United Families within the Wiradjuri Nation, Murray Darling Basin, Central New South Wales, Australia |
| 7th United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, United Nations, New York
Agenda Item 4: Pacific/Human Rights
Joint submission by Friends of the Earth International on behalf of Akali Tange Association Inc. Pogera Enga Province, Papua New Guinea in a joint intervention with Lake Cowal Mooka and Kalara United Families within the Wiradjuri Nation, Murray Darling Basin, Central new South Wales, Australia Western Shoshone Defence Project, Nevada, USA Laura Calm Wind, Kitchenuhmay Koosib Inninuwug, Canada Indigenous Peoples Links Centre for Organization Research and Education (CORE) Land is Life, Indigenous Environment Network (IEN) |
| 7th United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, United Nations, New York
Agenda Item 4.2: Pacific/Sustainable Development
Joint submission by Friends of the Earth International on behalf of Mooka and Kalara United Families within the Wiradjuri Nation,Murray Darling Basin, Central New South Wales, Australia in a joint intervention with New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council Akali Tange Association Inc. Pogera Enga Province, Papua New Guinea Agence Kanak de Developpement Western Shoshone Defence Project, Nevada, USA Laura Calm Wind, Kitchenuhmay Koosib Inninuwug, Canada Comision Juridica para el Autodesarrollo de los Pueblos Originarios Andinos (CAPAJ), Andes Indigenous Peoples Links Centre for Organization Research and Education (CORE) First Indigenous Nations Civic Association of South Africa (FINCASA) Indigenous Environment Network (IEN) |
| Jethro Tulin: Testimony at 7th United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues by Jethro Tulin, Akali Tange Association, PNG April 23rd, 2008 |
| Publisher not deterred by Barrick:
Releasing book today linking gold firm to alleged deaths by Marianne White, Canwest News Service April 14th, 2008 A small Quebec publishing house is giving the green light to a book linking Barrick Gold Corp. to the alleged deaths of Tanzanian miners in 1996, despite the threat of libel lawsuit. |
 | Paradise Lost The mining company Barrick Gold made millions of dollars by mining copper, silver, and gold on the tropical paradise island of Marinduque in the Philippines. The poverty-stricken local population was left with an environmental and health catastrophe. The canadian company is now fighting in the courts to avoid having to clean up. |
 | The Gold Link A visual story of water, landscape, and people at the source of virgin gold on the border of Argentina and Chile |
 | Wiradjuri Elder exposes mine pit collapse at Lake Cowal Wiradjuri Traditional Owner, Neville 'Chappy' Williams, exposes a massive collapse at Barrick’s Cowal Gold Project in Lake Cowal, 45 km north-west of West Wyalong, central western NSW. |
| Barrick skeptical on Pascua-Lama project by Reporting by Robert Melnbardis; editing by Matthew Lewis, REUTERS Barrick Gold Corp (ABX.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) is not convinced there will be a resolution soon of tax and permit issues delaying its proposed $2.4 billion Pascua-Lama mine in Argentina, its chief executive said on Wednesday. |
| Barrick Gold Secretly Building Roads to Attack Mt. Famatina in La Rioja, Argentina by David Modersbach, Rosario, Argentina On the one-year anniversary of the road blockade in Peña Negra and "ouster" of Barrick Gold from the Famatina mountain range, it has been confirmed that Barrick Gold, with the complicity of the national and provincial government, has been secretly constructing a new entry road into the backside of the mountain. This new road enters through Potrero Grande near Vinchina, avoiding the widespread public resistance on the east side of the range, and links Barrick Gold’s Famatina project with the uranium projects under exploration along the southern border of the neighboring province of Catamarca. |
| New report slams Buzwagi contract
THISDAY March 12th, 2008 A NEW report issued by several faith-based and civil society organisations has slammed the Buzwagi gold mine deal, saying members of parliament and the general public were hoodwinked by ex-minister for energy and minerals Nazir Karamagi into thinking that the upcoming project would pay huge taxes to the government. |
| Tanzania activists and religious communities launch critical mining research by Salma Maoulidi , Pambazuka News March 10th, 2008 Salma Maoulidi looks at the mining research report, "A Golden Opportunity? How Tanzania is failing to benefit from Gold Mining” and argues that it builds a powerful case for continued activism in trade and economic justice in line with various Human rights instruments that call for a country’s wealth and natural resources to benefit primarily local communities. |
 | Spread of mine sparks fears by Narelle Towie, The Sunday Times Kalgoorlie's super pit may be the goose that laid the golden egg, but moves to expand Australia's biggest goldmine are being bitterly opposed by neighbours. |
| Goldmine swallowing historic town by Kevin Andrusiak and Paige Taylor, Perth Now February 9th, 2008 IT is Australia's biggest goldmine, swallowing what is known as the world's richest square mile of dirt. |
 | Section of Super Pit wall collapses ABC News Online February 9th, 2008 A 50-metre stretch of the wall at one of Australia's biggest open pit gold mines has collapsed. |
| KCGM in moves to reopen tailings dams by Kevin Andrusiak, The Australian THE more gold goes up, the further down the Kalgoorlie Super Pit partners want to go. Joint-venture owners Newmont Mining and Barrick Gold want to increase the heights of two controversial tailings dams, and re-open another, as part of its plans to expand Australia's biggest gold mine, the massive Super Pit operations in the West Australian goldfields capital of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. |
| AFP investigating mining firms over conduct by Nick McKenzie, The Age SEVERAL Australian mining companies and executives are under investigation over alleged misconduct and dubious practices in the developing world, sparking calls for greater oversight. |
| CHILE-ARGENTINA: Pascua Lama Mining Project on Hold by Daniela Estrada, Inter Press Service January 17th, 2008 Nearly two years after winning environmental approval from the Chilean government, the controversial Pascua Lama gold mining project of the transnational Barrick Gold Corporation remains without a launch date. |
| Govt Warns Public To Stay Away From Porgera Mine
by Alexander Rheeney in Port Moresby, The Pacfic Magazine December 18th, 2007 The Papua New Guinea government has appealed to the public to keep away from the Porgera gold mine after security guards shot dead an alleged illegal miner. |
| ENVIROS DETECT HYPOCRISY IN CONAMA’S SUPPORT OF INVESTIGATION by Alex Cacciari, Santiago Times December 13th, 2007 Leaders of the Chilean environmental movement spoke out Wednesday against the National Environmental Commission’s (CONAMA) support of the government’s monitoring of environmental NGO campaigns. This comes after the Chilean daily La Tercera disclosed last Friday that Chile’s National Intelligence Agency (ANI) has increased oversight of environmental campaigns against three of the country’s most controversial environmental undertakings – the Aysén dam, the Pascua Lama gold mine, and Celulosa Arauco’s (CELCO) proposed waste duct into the sea. |
| Papua New Guinea landowner testimonies by David Martinez, PNG interviews August 2006 Testimony from principal landowners near Barrick's Porgera mine. Interviews by David Martinez, August 2007. Includes video. |
| CHILE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY MONITORS ENVIRONMENTAL NGOS by Matt Malinowski, La Tercera via The Santiago Times December 10th, 2007 Environmental Activists Alarmed, But Not Surprised About The News |
| Shoshone Use Film, Courts to Fight Gold Mine on Sacred Land by Lisa J. Wolf, Environmental News Service December 6th, 2007 The 32nd Annual American Indian Film Festival presented Western Shoshone grandmother Carrie Dann with the Eagle Spirit award for best overall contribution in American Indian cinema at an awards ceremony November 27. "Our Land, Our Life," the film that shows the Western Shoshones’ determined struggle to maintain their way of life, won the festival's Best Documentary award. |
| United Nations Human Rights Commission Official Complaint by Catherine Coumans, on behalf of Akali Tange Association, http://porgeraalliance.net/ December 2nd, 2007 |
| PEAK MINERALS: Ground breaking report warns of resource depletion. http://www.mpi.org.au In an Australian first, mining data from as far back as 1829 has been collected and analysed by Monash University academic, Dr Gavin Mudd in conjunction with the Mineral Policy Institute to determine the long term sustainability of a range of Australia’s mineral resources. |
| Mulroney had lucrative prospects by William Marsden, The Gazette November 23rd, 2007 Throughout his tenure as prime minister, Mulroney cultivated close friendships with top executives in Canada and the United States, as well as with such political leaders as U.S. President Ronald Reagan and his successor, George H.W. Bush. According to sources, this assured his smooth transition into a world of wealth and privilege, where his international connections would make him a sought-after lawyer and deal-maker. (article mentions many connections to Barrick Gold) |
| More Barrick Gold execs exercise options – and sell by SEDI (System for Electronic Disclosure by Insiders), National Post (Canada) September 17th, 2007 The National Post reports on a wave of Barrick top executives selling off their Barrick share, leaving most with no Barrick shares to their name. What do they know that their shareholders don't? |
| PASCUA LAMA PAYOFF DISPUTED BY CHILE LOCALS by Trey Pollard, Santiago Times/El Mercurio September 11th, 2007 Huasco Valley property owners who live below the Pascua Lama gold mine and administer US$3 million yearly in “hush” money given them by mine owner Barrick Gold charged this weekend that their predecessors used Barrick’s money for personal gain. |
| La Iglesia y la Comunidad del Valle del Huasco reafirman su compromiso por la Vida y contra la depredación minera by Luis Manuel Claps August 15th, 2007 El 15 de agosto, las comunidades del Valle del Huasco se reunieron para celebrar a la Virgen Nuestra Señora del Tránsito, pero esta vez la fiesta centenaria, estuvo atravesada por una Caminata por la Vida, que denunció los atropellos de la gran minería y defendió la identidad agrícola del Valle. |
| First U.S. Mining Law reform hearing kicks off today by Dorothy Kosich, MineWeb Mining Law reform is back once again on the U.S. public policy agenda, thanks to House Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall, D-West Virginia, whose H.R. 2262 is scheduled for a subcommittee hearing at 10 a.m. this morning. |
 | It's Time for Second Quarter Reporting: What will Barrick hide from their shareholders this time? by Sakura Saunders, Special to ProtestBarrick August 2 marks the publishing date of Barrick Gold's second quarter results. With profits down by 14 percent, the Pascua Lama project delayed, and Norway's pension fund considering pulling their investment on ethical grounds, things aren't looking good for this gold mining giant. But, are any of these developments a big surprise? There are many shareholders who might think so, but that is only because Barrick has been systematically hiding vital information from them through glaring omissions and outright lies. |
| Investors left with fool's gold by Jennifer Wells, The Star The outcome could not have been more damning. In finding Bre-X geologist John Felderhof not guilty on all eight counts of securities violations yesterday, Mr. Justice Peter Hryn left the taxpayer-financed Ontario Securities Commission staring at the cadaverous remains of an ill-starred and, we now know, feebly mounted case. |
| Groups Lobby Congress for Changes to Mining Laws by Marcela Valente, Inter Press Service News Agency People from 14 Argentine provinces visited Congress this week to call for changes in the country’s mining code, which grants substantial tax incentives that have drawn foreign corporations with poor environmental records. |
| US: Bush opposes rewrite of mining law by Jaime Richardson and Jim Lamb, Green Valley News The Bush administration on Thursday came out against a proposed revision of a 135-year-old hard-rock mining law that would impose the first-ever royalty fees and environmental restrictions for mining on public land. |
| LETTER TO THE EDITOR - TheStar.com
Mining companies need to be accountable Prime Minister Stephen Harper asserted in Chile that Barrick Gold's Pascua-Lama project follows "Canadian standards of corporate social responsibility." Unfortunately, no such standards exist. |
| Harper dithering on ending Canadian corporate crime in South America NDP OTTAWA – On the eve of the Prime Minister’s visit to Colombia and Chile, the NDP is demanding that Stephen Harper end his government’s stonewalling on proposed Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) legislation to fight human rights and environmental abuses by Canadian extractive companies doing business in South America. |
| Change mining laws to reclaim our future by Jane Danowitz, Salt Lake Tribune Unlike oil, gas and other extractive industries operating on public land, the "hard rock" metal mining companies - even if foreign owned - can take mineral resources from U.S. lands virtually for free, costing American taxpayers an estimated $100 million each year in potential royalties. |
| CANADIAN ROUND-TABLE PROCESS ENSURES CONTINUATION OF IMPUNITY FOR GLOBAL MINING COMPANIES by Grahame Russell, Rights Action In the exploited countries of the global south, peoples and communities harmed by multinational mining companies have no way to prevent or remedy environmental and development harms and human rights violations caused by mining. They have no way to hold the companies and investors accountable, neither where the harms and violations occur, nor in the home countries of the companies and investors. |
| Critique of Water Shares Agreement and Barrick's "94% approval rating": Luis Faura Cortes, Councilperson of Alto del Carmen. by Luís Faura Cortes January 15th, 2007 Testimony of Luis Faura Cortes, Councilperson of Alto del Carmen, about the misleading water shares agreement between the Vigilance Junta and Barrick Gold. |
| In Chile, Precious Lands Often Go for a Pittance by Monte Reel, Washington Post Foreign Service December 26th, 2006 The mountainous terrain of northern Chile is studded with precious metals, a natural cache that for years has had investors angling for land rights. So when the world's largest gold mining company targeted about 20,000 acres owned by Rodolfo Villar, a mineral speculator, he signed a contract. Only later, he said, did he realize how much the company had agreed to pay him: About $19. |
| Barrick’s Gold: Canadian Mine Threatens a Chileean Watershed by Ricardo Acuña , Canadian Dimension |
| Six Villagers Killed in Barrick's North Mara Mine by Tundu Lissu, Lawyers' Environmental Action Team (LEAT) June 17th, 2006 Folks, It's bad news again. Over two weeks ago, on June 1, security guards employed by Barrick Gold Corp. at the North Mara Gold Mine in Tarime District, Northern Tanzania shot dead a villager who was alleged to have illegally entered the Mine complex. |
| Peru strikers clash over Barrick tax ruling Reuters March 7th, 2005 Thousands of protesters angry at a court decision to waive a $141 million tax payment levied on Canadian miner Barrick Gold Inc. clashed with riot police in Peru's central Andes on Monday, the latest in a run of anti-mining protests in the mineral-rich nation. |
| Scab mine workers had more severe uranium exposure by Kathy Helms, Gallup Independent March 3rd, 2004 Israel Martinez used to work for at a uranium mine and mill. He made a good living nearly $10 an hour shoveling mud in the pitch ditch. Later on, he graduated to yellowcake. Now Martinez has pulmonary fibrosis. His medical records indicate it is from uranium exposure. |
| Human Rights Commission Issues Injunction Order Against Tarime Gold Mine and Four Others by Tundu Lissu, Lawyers' Environmental Action Team (LEAT) November 24th, 2003 The Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance today issued an order of interim injunction [pdf] against the Afrika Mashariki Gold Mine (AMGM), its Canadian parent company Placer Dome (now owned by Barrick Gold) and three officials in Tarime District. The order seeks to prevent them from carrying on a campaign intended to force Nyangoto village residents in Nyabirama area to accept inadequate compensation from the two companies. |