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Monday, 31st July 2006 (2046 views)

Mining company Barrick Gold has moved to assure concerned parties that its Pascua Lama project in Chile will go beyond local laws to protect the environment.

Barrick, the world's biggest gold miner, has come under fire from local groups worried that the mine will harm the agriculture of Chile's Huasco province and upset local water supplies.

However, Pascua-Lama project manager Ron Kettles told the New York Times: "It still puzzles me why there is so much controversy. This is far and away the safest and most environmentally sensitive project that I've ever built in 40 years in the business."

Barrick is taking precautions to ensure that water is diverted away from waste rock and creating stations that will monitor the quality of water.

Company spokesman Vincent Borg added: "Cyanide is used in all kinds of industrial applications worldwide and needs to be transported, handled and managed in a safe and responsible way.

"Barrick has an exemplary record and has never had any major incidents involving cyanide."

The firm has won numerous awards for its environmental performance, including the 2005 Certificate of Merit in the Tanzanian President's Environmental Awards.

 

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