Chilean court rejects single $16-million fine for Barrick Gold Add to ...
Chilean court rejects single $16-million fine for Barrick Gold Add to ...
SANTIAGO, Chile — The Associated Press
Published Monday, Mar. 03 2014, 1:58 PM EST
Last updated Monday, Mar. 03 2014, 2:00 PM EST
Chile’s environmental court has overturned a $16-million fine against Barrick Gold Corp. for failing to keep its promises at the world’s highest gold mine.
The court said Monday that Chile’s environmental regulator should not have applied a single total fine after finding that the world’s biggest gold mining company committed 23 separate infractions at the $8.5-billion Pascua Lama project.
It ordered separate fines for each failure to follow the environmental permit.
Barrick acknowledged 22 of the 23 problems and is working to fix them, but denied that a huge containment wall needs changes to better protect the valley below.
Diaguita Indians who feel threatened by potential runoff in their rivers are trying to block the Canadian company’s project.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/chilean-court-rejects-single-16-million-fine-for-barrick-gold/
(Short article, no more at link.)
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“POPPY’S MIDAS TOUCH”
At the end of the George H.W. Bush presidency, the Interior Department enabled Barrick Gold to secure the approval of a massive gold mining claim on Western Shoshone lands. The claim was for an estimated $10 billion in gold within the area of the Treaty of Ruby Valley. Because of the 1872 Mining Act, Barrick paid less than $10,000 for the claim, just about $5.00 an acre.
Then, in May 1995, Barrick Gold Corporation announced a new international advisory board under the leadership of George H.W. Bush. The former president became Barrick’s chief lobbyist, a Barrick shareholder, and honorary senior advisor to the corporation’s international board.
http://my.firedoglake.com/iflizwerequeen/tag/barrick-gold-mining/