Cotuí, August 2, 2018. Last Friday, the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Ángel Estévez, along with a delegation from the state institution, visited the Barrick Pueblo Viejo mine facilities, located in Cotuí, Sánchez Ramírez province. The objective of this visit was to learn about the most important processes carried out daily at this operation, as well as the compliance standards maintained in each of them. A company commission, headed by its president, Juana Barceló, welcomed the official and his companions and gave detailed presentations on the projects implemented by the mining company within its Environmental Management Plan and the Remediation processes it has carried out since its arrival in the country, as well as details of its Social Responsibility program.
"We wanted to visit all the mines in the country, to see the operations here more closely. I'm glad to see that the mining industry in the Republic has its doors open so that, like me, anyone who wants to come and see how things are operating today can come and see for themselves, not just take my word for it," Ángel Estévez said before beginning the visit.
During the tour, the group learned about the collection and treatment process for acidic water generated by the rains that fall within the mine. This water is 100 percent collected and subsequently treated thanks to a high-capacity, state-of-the-art water treatment plant. The mining company's delegation reported that since 2006, it has invested approximately US$1.4 trillion (US$4.7 trillion) in the remediation plan for the environmental liabilities left by the previous operation in the Pueblo Viejo mine area. This remediation included the recovery of contaminated soils, revegetation of the impacted areas, and the implementation of plans for the recovery and protection of local flora, among other activities. Juana Barceló, President of Barrick Pueblo Viejo, reaffirmed the company's commitment to conducting mining well that positively impacts both the environment and its surrounding communities. She said this can be seen in the improvement of conditions at the mine site and in the change in the lives of local communities. "As a company, we seek to empower the people around us, our neighbors, to be the masters of their own development, so that when we are no longer here, there will be a legacy that further contributes to the development of the Sánchez Ramírez province and the country," Barceló said.
"I'm leaving fully aware that there really is responsible mining here. When things are done prudently and responsibly, positive results are achieved, and that's what you're doing. With our collaboration, we will ensure these results are sustained," Estévez stated at the end of the activity.
The minister was accompanied by a delegation from the Ministry of the Environment, including Manuel Serrano, Vice Minister of Forest Resources; Ángel Santana, Vice Minister of Protected Areas; Zoila González, Vice Minister of Environmental Management of the Ministry of the Environment; as well as Pedro Esteva, President of the Dominican Republic's Chamber of Mining and Petroleum Industries (CAMIPE), and Yamily López, its Executive Director.
