Chile Imposes New Sanctions Against Canadian Miner Barrick Gold
Chile Imposes New Sanctions Against Canadian Miner Barrick Gold
By Anne Lu on April 30 2015 12:40 AM
Chile's Superintendence for the Environment, or SMA, has imposed 10 new sanctions against Canadian miner Barrick Gold, thus lessening its chances of resuming construction in its already suspended Pascua-Lama gold and silver project located in the border between Chile and Argentina.
After two years of inspection from 2013 to 2015, SMA found out that Barrick has again violated several environmental laws. Barrick has already been fined US$16 million [$20 million] in 2013 over numerous violations to the country's conservational laws. This also put the project on indefinite hold since October of the same year. It was the largest ever penalty imposed in Chile.
According to SMA, some of the broken rules are related to protecting flora and fauna, water management and monitoring glaciers. One infraction — the construction of works outside the permitted area — was deemed "very serious" by the SMA.
Big scale mining represents an important environmental challenge for Chile, making it one of the more stringent countries when it comes to mining regulations. Some of the problems brought about by mining include endangered flora and fauna species, deforestation resulting to soil erosion, air and water pollution, and severe water shortages.
More:
http://au.ibtimes.com/chile-imposes-new-sanctions-against-canadian-miner-barrick-gold-1444354
Environment & Energy:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/112784811