Vista Gold fights back against ‘misleading media coverage’

MINING.COM Staff Writer | January 24, 2011 | 8:20 pm Precious Metals Gold 

Vista Gold, attempting to permit an open-pit gold mine in the Baja, released a statement criticizing the media coverage of the Concordia gold project.

According to the Toronto Star, Vista Gold is attempting to develop in the Sierra la Laguna mountain range:

The United Nations says Sierra la Laguna is important because of its freshwater supply — a rarity in mostly arid Mexico — and because its water basin drains into sea turtle spawning grounds. Whales also rely on connected estuaries.

Meanwhile, Canada’s Argonaut Gold Inc. has plans to team up with Pediment Gold Corp. to extract the precious metal nearby.

The projects have attracted fierce criticism from environmentalists and residents of Los Cabos who rely on tourism.

They say open-pit mines permanently scar the landscape and runoff from cyanide — an agent used to treat gold — threatens drinking water and wildlife.

The United Nations says Sierra la Laguna is important because of its freshwater supply — a rarity in mostly arid Mexico — and because its water basin drains into sea turtle spawning grounds. Whales also rely on connected estuaries.

Meanwhile, Canada’s Argonaut Gold Inc. has plans to team up with Pediment Gold Corp. to extract the precious metal nearby.

The projects have attracted fierce criticism from environmentalists and residents of Los Cabos who rely on tourism.

They say open-pit mines permanently scar the landscape and runoff from cyanide — an agent used to treat gold — threatens drinking water and wildlife.

“Vista believes that the Concordia gold project has been designed to comply not only with applicable Mexican legislation, but with the highest international standards for the protection of the environment and the health and safety of the proposed workforce and members of the local communities.  When all permits and approvals are in place, Vista intends to invest more than US$200 million to construct a modern mining facility that is expected to provide jobs for 400 to 600 workers during construction and 300 full-time employees during the project’s life,” the company said in a statement.

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