Pasqua Lama Project


Pascua-Lama is an open pit mining project of gold, silver, and copper in the Andes mountains, near the border between Chilie and Argentina. Toronto-based Barrick Gold, the world's largest gold mining company, is the company who is developing the project. Barrick has been planning the project for several years. It performed its first studies of the glaciers in 1991. Barrick's plans for the project have changed over time. In June 2005, Barrick intended to commence building in January 2006, after responding to a questionnaire put to it by CONAMA, the Chilean government's national environment commission. However, in November 2005, the company published a report stating that it had scrapped its original plans, presented in December 2004, for "transplanting" three glaciers in order to gain access to the deposits beneath them, moving them to another glacier with which they were to bond. This change was publicly supported by Fernando González, the chairman of the council of Huasco Valley farmers. Personally I think that this project makes no sense at all. The earth is in enough troubles already, we don’t need an other project to come make things worst. In this text we will talk about the response of the Chileans government, the consequence that this project will bring to Chileans local and finally, what are the things that Barricks Gold tells to protect his project.

First of all, Pascua-Lama project has caused controversy and public protest in Chile, including demonstrations and petitions presented to the Chilean government. However, Chile and Argentina government have both approved the project, following thorough environmental reviews in both countries. The mining company now has a number of rules that they need to respect. So now, whit the approval of the two governments Barrick has now a free pass to start his project. He intends to commence construction on the mine in late 2007
Second of all, this project will bring many consequences to the local community that lives in Chili. Those protesting the project contend that it will involve the removal of 20 hectares of ice and that this will cause serious environmental harm. On the other side, Barrick gold has promise that they will be no use of transporting, breaking any glacier. To do so would be a violation of the terms that they discuss whit the government. Environmentalist say that this project will indeed affect the water suplies of more then 70000 farmers in the Huasco valley, releasing cyanide and mercury into the valley's rivers. This is an important problem because these farmers need this precious source of pure water to keep them and their crops alive. In November 2005, a petition of 18,000 signatures was presented to the Chilean government by Anti Pascua Lama Front, a coalition of environmentalist groups.

Finally, Barrick gold is put in front whit some serious pressure from the Anti Pascua Lama groups. To get his «ass saved» (sorry for the word), he will state some facts. He will content that his project is environmentally friendly in terms of water treatment, and that the project will create 5,500 direct jobs during the mine’s construction phase. This is all good, but for how long? What will happen to local farmer that takes one of the 5,000 jobs? I will tell you. They will get fired, they will be stuck whit no jobs, polluted water and a land that is no good anymore for agriculture. In one word, they are going to be left alone whit no more resource. He also states that US$1.5 billion will be directly invested in the Huasco province in Chile and San Juan province in Argentina.

To conclude, we saw in this texte a lillte history of the Pasca Lama project, we also talk about the consequences that this project would have on the Chileans local and we talk about the superstition of Barrick gold. Personally I don’t think Barrick gold should proceed in his project because the world his being demolish day by day by new inventions, new chemical weapons and more and more pollution in the air. I really think that this project will have, maybe not in short term but in long term, some consequence that nobody would of see coming.