Court in Chile sides with Diaguita Tribe in lawsuit against mine

Tuesday, July 16, 2013  

An appeals court in Chile sided with the Diaguita Tribe in a dispute over a gold mine in the mountains.

The tribe accused Barrick Gold Corp. of contaminating the water downstream. The court said the world's largest gold mining company must ensure the water supply is protected, must fix any damage that might occur and must monitor glaciers near the site before continuing work on the $8.5 billion Pascua Lama mine.

The court also opened a new environmental review of mine, which is located in the mountains on the border of Chile and Argentina. An attorney for the tribe said it's possible that the project could be ended once and for all.

"Barrick is committed to operating at the highest environmental standards at all of its operations around the world, including at Pascua-Lama, and is working diligently to meet all regulatory requirements at the project," the company said in a press release.

Get the Story:
Chile court sides with Indians, blocks mine until Barrick Gold keeps environmental promises (AP 7/15)
Chilean court suspends Barrick's Pascua-Lama mine project (Reuters 7/15)