Dominican Republic: Barrick set to open giant gold mine World War 4 report August 7th, 2012 |
The Pueblo Viejo gold mine in Cotu� in the Dominican Republic�s central province of S�nchez Ram�rez is starting operations this August, Jamie Sokalsky, CEO of the Toronto-based Barrick Gold Corporation, told investors on July 26. The new mine, on a site abandoned by the state enterprise Rosario Dominicana in 1999, will produce up to 125,000 ounces of gold this year and reach full capacity during 2013, Sokalsky said. The project, a joint venture with the Vancouver-based multinational Goldcorp Inc., has cost about $3.8 billion so far; this is said to be the largest private investment ever made in the Dominican Republic. (AP, July 26, via NBC 29, Charlottesville, Virginia) The project has stirred up protests in the past, because of what
activists said were irregularities in the government�s contract with the
Canadian companies, and because of potential damage to the environment
and to archeological sites. Barrick plans to use 24 tons of cyanide a
day, Virginia Rodr�guez, a coordinator for the local nongovernmental
organization SalvaTierra (�Save
the Earth�), told the Associated Press wire service. �There is a very
high risk, especially with an island like ours with a very fragile
ecosystem,� she said. The mine is located in a mountainous region, the
source of some of the country�s most important rivers. |