First Ever in Latin America: Mining Corporation Charged with “Crimes Against the Environment” in Argentina

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Bajo La Alumbrera Mine in Catamarca Province, Artgentina.

Quoting directly from this article published in Mine Watch, "Catamarca is a beautiful desert province of northwest Argentina, with mountain ranges, deserts, and verdant oasis valleys. Runoff from snow-capped peaks and underground aquifers once supplied small-farmers throughout the region with pure mineral waters for their crops of fruit, nuts and vegetables. These lands are now dried up and waters undrinkable, contaminated with heavy metals.

Family farms have dried up, leaving poverty and creating a culture of exclusion and dependency. The town of Andalgalà in Catamarca is emblematic of the social and ecological conflicts brought on by Big Mining: Miners live in gated communities, while common citizens cannot drink the tap water and schools and health systems languish…”

Gold from this mine enters the international market where it is mixed with other gold. Atrocities such as this support the notion that transparency from mine to market truly does represent a best practice.

This article was published back in June, 2008, but just came to my attention. Below is a link.

~ Marc Choyt, Rédacteur en chef

Read the complete text below.
http://www.miningwatch.ca/index.php?/yamana/alumbrera_charges

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