New book ‘102 Things to Do with a Hole in the Ground‘ spotlights global reclamation projects
Stories of reinvented coal mining regions, regenerated communities and rebuilt ecosystems are told in a new book published this month.
Unionized workers representing Barrick Gold’s (TSX, NYSE:ABX) suspended Pascua Lama mine, signed Friday a new contract and abandoned threats of a strike scheduled to begin today, which could have seriously risked the project viability.
Union president Alexis Spencer told Diario El Día (in Spanish) the deal includes an average wage increase of 5%, improved benefits, a US$15,500 one-time end-of conflict bonus, and better severance payment conditions. The new collective contract will last for the next 27 months.
The Chilean workers are responsible for building a water treatment system to avoid polluting mountains and groundwater in the country. They are also in charge of monitoring the glaciers that are near the mountaintop mine in the Andes.
“Had we voted to go on strike, we would have affected the construction of the water management system required by the authorities to restart operations,” Spencer explained.
Pascua Lama, which straddles the Chilean and Argentine border, is expected to produce over 800,000 ounces of gold and 35 million ounces of silver in its first five years. Production was scheduled to start in 2014, but has been delayed until 2016 or until new infrastructure is built to avoid water pollution.
Comments
jdtaillant
The article fails to mention the most critical resource that was actually being polluted, which is GLACIERS and PERIGLACIAL Environments. Barrick failed to mention that there are over 400 glaciers and extensive permafrost areas at or near Pascua Lama, many of which have already been severely disturbed and irreversibly damaged by Barrick in exploratory and preparatory phases of Pascua Lama. This is at the heart of the Chilean judicial closure of the project, and will be key as Argentina’s new glacier protection law starts revealing the existence of numerous glaciars and periglacial areas around Veladero and Pascua Lama. Problems are ONLY BEGINNING for Barrick Gold!