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.

TANZANIA: Community Still Worried By Mine Contamination by Jessie Boylan, Inter Press Service News Agency (IPS) December 30th, 2009 Solomon, 55, has been farming here near Nyangoto village, in Tanzania's rural Tarime district for a long time. "I was farming rice before," she said, "but I can’t anymore because of the chemicals." Solomon's farm was contaminated by a leak in May from Barrick Gold's North Mara mine - just 100 metres away. In large sections, the grass has completely died, and plants and some vegetation have off-coloured stalks. The stream running from the mine site has green growth covering it; there is no sign of insects, tadpoles or frogs, and some crystallised plants stick out of the water, as if frozen or covered by salt; no other streams in the area looked like this.

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.

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.

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.

Attempted Break-in At Tanzania's North Mara Mine; 1 Shot by Nicholas Bariyo, Dow Jones Newswire September 14th, 2009 Police shot and injured a person at Barrick Gold Corp.'s (ABX) North Mara Gold Mine over the weekend as more than a hundred illegal miners invaded the premises, the communications officer of the mine, Edward Ibabila, told Dow Jones Newswires Monday.

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.

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.

Tensions on the Rise at North Mara by Reporters, The Citizen (Tanzania) July 6th, 2009 The Nyamongo villagers, some of whom still claiming compensation for their plots that were taken over by the mine, accuse the investor of doing nothing to improve their conditions. But the investor accuses the villagers of looting, and of late has implicitly started to avoid employing local youths for even menial jobs at the mine. The mine's public relations officer, Mr Edward Ibabila, said the investor had poured a huge amount money into security in a bid to curb losses incurred through the endemic smuggling and vandalism.

EDITORIAL: Call for Bunge to probe North Mara gold mine deaths timely by EDITOR, This Day Tanzania July 4th, 2009 SULPHURIC acid is an extremely potent liquid. Used carelessly in its concentrated form it kills any living thing, dissolves stones and similar things. The acid is used by mines, such as the North Mara Gold Mine in Tarime District, Mara Region in the process of purifying gold.

Cheyo in the soup: allegations of water contaminated by acid seeping from the North Mara Gold Mine by Samuel Kamndaya, Dodoma and Anthony Mayunga, Tarime , The Citizen (Tanzania) July 1st, 2009 The chairman of the parliamentary committee on land, natural resources and environment, Mr Job Ndugai, led several MPs in demanding for the probe to establish the truth behind the death and poisoning reports in villages around the mine. Mr Kagasheki, who toured the mine on Sunday following numerous complaints, said he was annoyed by attempts by the mine officials to play down the matter.

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.

The human cost of gold in Tanzania: And a deadly price to pay ThisDay June 27th, 2009 VILLAGERS living near a gold mine owned and run by Canada’s Barrick Gold Corp. in Tarime District, Mara Region are demanding the immediate closure of the project, saying they are paying a deadly price for the mining activities in the area. They say more than 20 people have died in recent weeks as a direct result of the contaminated water.

Close North Mara mine- activists by Vicent Mnyanyika, The Citizen June 27th, 2009 A cross section of human rights activists have called for immediate closure of the Barrick's North Mara gold mine to give room for investigations into allegations that poisonous seepage from the mine has caused death to about 20 people and 270 heads of cattle.

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.