Gold rush threatens glacier by Lucia Newman in the Huasco Valley, Chile, Al Jazeera |
Hernan
Calderon says he is just an "insignificant insect" to the owners of the
Pascua Lama gold mine high in the Andes mountains in northern Chile. The cattle herder used to be able to check his herds in the fields of the Huasco Valley via a public road.
A new gold rush is under way as mining companies seek
to supply the ever-increasing demand for the precious metal from
emerging economies such as India, and with reserves dwindling all over
the world they are going to extraordinary lengths to extract it. Since time immemorial man has risked much to obtain
gold, but 20 years ago it would have been unthinkable to look for it so
high in the Andes mountains, too much trouble and expense to extract. However next to the Toro I, Toro II and Esperanze
glaciers 5,000 metres above sea level deposits worth an estimated 12
billion dollars have been discovered by satellite.
Hernan Calderon told Al Jazeera: "All this belongs to
those people from Barrick. Now the foreigners are the new owners of
Chile and we are just insignificant insects to them." It has not rained in the valley for ten years, yet
the Huasco produces some of Chile's best grapes, avocadoes and olives
for export thanks to careful irrigation with the water that comes from
the glaciers above. It is a source of water that farmers like Bernardo
Torres, fear will become contaminated with the cyanide used when mining
for gold. "It's a highly toxic activity that will prejudice us
all," Torres said. "The leaks and explosives, the impact of the heavy
metals will affect our plants and our health, even if they say it
won't." Others worry that the glacier itself may just melt away once the mine opens. Because they are white glaciers reflect the sun's
rays, this is why they do not melt. But if they become dark brown from
the explosives and dust generated every day, as environmentalists
predict, the glaciers could disappear. Chile's national chamber of deputies recently called
for an inquiry into the Pascua Lama project after the findings of a
report from the country's General Water Directorship from 2002 was
publicised by local media and revealed the three glaciers had already
dwindled by 50-70 per cent during the exploratory phase of the project.
When he spoke to Al Jazeera he said one of the
conditions to the contract awarded to mine Pascua lama is not to affect
the glaciers in any way. "There are 400 additional conditions," he said. "And we are going to adhere to them 100 per cent." "And this is why we can say with confidence that we
will not affect the quality or the quantity of the water for the Huasco
valley."
Mario Gonzalez, who said he worked for Barrick until
shortly before the mine closed, explained that despite precautions
being taken there were several occasions when highly toxic waste leaked
into the river that goes into La Serena's water supply.
"No drinking water for three or four days until the waste was washed out into the ocean." But there were benefits from the El Indio project for
the local community. At least a thousand families were able to build
their homes in the area because of the jobs generated by the mine over
a 20 year period. The promise of jobs in the new Pascua Lama gold mine
is important to residents of nearby Vallenar, the provincial capital
where unemployment is high and part of the argument that helped win
Chilean government approval for the controversial project. Enrique Accorsi, the president of the natural
resources commission of the chamber of deputies said: "We're talking
about a project worth billions of dollars and the investment always
seens to weigh more than the negative impact it could have." Yet a sign in the Huasco Valley reads: "The thirst for gold will leave us without water." Despite the assurances from Barrick, farmers like Don
Manuel believe it, yet he concedes: "I don't think this can be stopped.
We�re talking about big business, and big business always wins." |