VISTA GOLD NO

Protest Against Toxic Mining in Baja California Sur

2011-02-23T22:14:00.000-07:00

The people of Baja California Sur Protest Toxic Mining. Add your voice. Do something to help protect the Baja.

Congress Announces Special Session for Sustainability Legislation

2011-01-31T12:25:00.009-07:00

Almost 150 vehicles; cars, buses and dump truck and ambulances coming from San Jose del Cabo, Cabo and Todos Santos went to La Paz on January 28th to deliver a letter to the Governor and Congress demanding that they act to protect our state from toxic mining practices.

The Caravan was met by Secretary Porras Dominguez on behalf of Governor Narciso Agundez Montano, who stated in very strong terms that "the State Government is against the installation of mining operations using cyanide extraction or other economic activity that threatens our natural resources and environment".

Also present were members of the state Congressional Commission of Ecology. Congressman Juan Hernandez Paulerena announced that in response to the petition the State Congress "...will hold public forums regarding the risks of mining projects in Baja California Sur, for the purpose of enriching the proposed Law for Sustainable Development and the Protection of the Environment. The legislators expressed their desire to leave the next Legislature a clear record of the objections expressed by the civil society of Baja Calironia Sur during the present legislation term of the XII Legislature. The forums will take place on the following dates: February 8th in the municipality of Los Cabos; February 9th in La Paz, February 10th in Comondu; February 11th in Loreto; And February 12th in the municipality of Mulege. The information that is recorded in each forum as well as the expressions and proposals from the citizens in each municipality will be used to enrich the Law for Sustainable Development and the Protection of the Environment in Baja California Sur, which is going through the Legislative process and which was read for the first time in the last ordinary session of the Congress and which will continue to be analyzed in extraordinary session during in the month of February." (Tribuna - 29 / 01 / 2011)

Through out the day there were exhibits, speakers and information booths at the Kiosko in the Malecon along the La Paz waterfront where more than 2000 people registered their opposition to toxic mining in Baja California Sur. The petitions will be added to the more than 15,000 signatures already gathered in Los Cabos and Todos Santos. During the coming weeks we need everyone to continue to gather signatures so we can present them to the Congress to send a strong unequivocal message to the Legislature that the community supports sustainability legislation and specifically laws that protect our State from toxic mining practices.

The next steps:

1. We need to collect 100,000 signature in the coming weeks. Please help circulate petitions in your area. For a petition form send your email to: info@vistagoldno.com.

2. It is very important that we attend the Congressional forums and make sure our voice is heard. Invite your friends and neighbors to attend the forums and let our Congress know that we do not want toxic mining in Baja California Sur. Forum dates are: February 8th in the municipality of Los Cabos; February 9th in La Paz, February 10th in Comondu; February 11th in Loreto; And February 12th in the municipality of Mulege. We will send you the forum locations as soon as they are announced.

Let all our voices sing out for a Sustainable Baja California Sur - the first Sustainable State in Mexico. Together we can achieve great things.

S.O.S. 8500 PEOPLE DEMAND LEGISLATION TO PROHIBIT TOXIC MINING

2011-01-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, 16 of January, 2011.- Defending their right to live in an environment free of toxic open pit gold mining, 8500 people gathered to form a human S.O.S. on beautiful El Tule Beach between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.
Chamber of commerce, industries and tourism along with environmental groups and unions from Los Cabos and La Paz are demanding that the state and federal authorities permanently cancel the open pit gold mining projects of the Canadian company Pediment Gold and the U.S. corporation Vista Gold.
"Cabo San Lucas is the jewel of Mexico. It defies logic that they would want to put a highly toxic open pit gold mine in such an environmentally sensitive area. " said Daivd Sosa spokesperson for the association for Sudcalifornianos Organizados por la Sustentabilidad.
Protesters plan a major Caravan/March from Los Cabos to La Paz on January 28th. March coordinator Lic. Ariel Ruiz Castillo, President of organizing group Agua Vale Mas Que Oro, says, "the purpose of the march is to demand that the State Congress enact legislation that would prohibit toxic mining the Baja California Sur."
The Event will leave San Jose at 8 am with stops in Cabo San Lucas and Todos Santos. They will then meet up the people in La Paz to parade to the Congress and Governor's office to present petitions. The caravan will then head for the Kiosko of the Malecon for a waterfront concert including groups such as Los Huizapoles, Ceviche, and the Banda de San Blas.

WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW

2010-12-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

As many of you may know, Vista Gold mining company is seeking permission to develop the massive Concordia open pit gold mine at Paredones Amarillos in the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve above Todos Santos. That is not all, Pediment Gold is also developing a new open pit cyanide based gold mine project on 46,000 hectares between San Antonio and Los Planes on the Eastern side of the peninsula south of La Paz.

Please help protect the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve, our aquifers, our economy and our health from these dangerous projects.

Different government agencies are in the process of making decisions about mining in Baja California Sur. We need new laws to protect our state from TOXIC OPEN PIT GOLD MINING. We need everyone to send letters to the federal and state agencies to express opposition to these projects and Federal Laws that make them possible. Please help and get as many others to participate in this letter writing campaign.

Take the following steps:
Copy the following address on the TO line of your email form: gobernador@gbcs.gob.mx, comubcs@yahoo.com, ayuntamientolapaz@yahoo.com.mx, relainter@lapaz.gob.mx, informacion@transparencialapaz.gob.mx, desarrollosye@lapaz.gob.mx, comunicacion@loscabos.gob.mx, angie89mom@hotmail.com, acastro@cbcs.gob.mx, acota@cbcs.gob.mx, cesena@cbcs.gob.mx, arturodelarosa@cbcs.gob.mx, acordova@cbcs.gob.mx, jpaularena@cbcs.gob.mx, frubio@cbcs.gob.mx, nosuna@cbcs.gob.mx, gtrevino@cbcs.gob.mx, gsantillan@cbcs.gob.mx, mcuellar@cbcs.gob.mx, jprado@cbcs.gob.mx, jmayoral@cbcs.gob.mx, fitoglez@cbcs.gob.mx, smurillo@cbcs.gob.mx, jkatzenstein@cbcs.gob.mx, info@paredonesamarillosno.com, sdelatoba@cbcs.gob.mx, rvargas@cbcs.gob.mx, comisionado@conanp.gob.mx, bermudez@conanp.gob.mx, marco.gonzalez@sermarnat.gob.mx, delegado@bcs.semarnat.gob.mx, jquinonez@conanp.gob.mx, castillo_jluis23@msn.com, isaias.gonzalez@congreso.gob.mx, esthela.ponce@congreso.gob.mx, victor.castro@congreso.gob.mx, marcos.covarrubias@congreso.gob.mx, francisco.meza@congreso.gob.mx, fobregon@senado.gob.mx, jcotac@senado.gob.mx, luis.coppola@pan.senado.gob.mx, marcos.covarrubias@hotmail.com, rickybarroso@hotmail.com, nuevalianza@yahoo.com.mx, bajacaliforniasur@convergencia.org.mx, delegator_latoba@hotmail.com, gtraga@hotmail.com

Subject: Me Opongo Minería de Oro a Cielo Abierto
Copy the following text into the body of your email:

      Estimado Funcionario Público,
      Le escribo para decirle que me opongo al establecimiento de la mina de oro
     Concordia /Paredones Amarillos, dentro de la Reserva de la Biósfera Sierra de la
     Laguna y al proyecto Pitalla/Pediment Gold en San Antonio.

Respaldo al Congreso y el Gobernador para erradicar de

Baja California Sur

la Minería de Oro a Cielo Abierto con Uso de Sustancias Tóxicas

(bienvenida la minería sin tóxicos ni explosivos)

Quiero espresar mi apoyo total por la Sustentabilidad de Baja California Sur. Estamos a tiempo para prohibir y detener la Mineria de Oro a Cielo Abierto y asi mismo la prohibicion de actividades consideradas de "alto riesgo ambiental" como el uso de cianuro.

Me opongo la Minería de Oro a Cielo Abierto con Uso de Sustancias Tóxicas porque no creo que los cerca de 200 empleos (muchos de ellos para gente de otros Estados) que se generarán estos proyectos no justifican la destrucción de un ecosistema único en nuestro Estado y en el País, no justifican los riesgos a nuestra economía, los riesgos al agua, los riesgos a nuestra salud y los riesgos a la Reserva de la Biósfera Sierra de la Laguna.

Por estas y otras razones, le exijo respetuosamente que, como mi representante y como servidor público, tome las medidas que están a su alcance para evitar el establecimiento de la mina Concordia/Paredones Amarillos en la Sierra de la Laguna y la mina Pitalla/Pediment Gold.
http://www.ParedonesAmarillosNo.com http://www.VistaGoldNo.com
Atentamente,
(tu nombre)

Put your name at the end of the letter and send.

(For a translation of the letter see below)

Dear Public Official

I am writing, to tell you that I oppose the establishment of the gold mine known as Concordia/Paredones Amarillos, within the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve and the project Pitalla/Pediment Gold in San Antonio.
I support the efforts of the Congress and the Governor to eradicate from
Baja California Sur
Toxic Open Pit gold MIning
(we welcome mining that does not use toxic substances or explosives)
I wish to express my total support for a sustainability in Baja California Sur. We are in time to detain and prohibit Toxic Open Pit Gold Mining as well as activities that pose a serious risk to the environment such as the use of cyanide.
I oppose Toxic Open Pit Gold Mining because I believe that the approximately 200 created by these projects does not justify the destruction to the unique ecosystems in our state and nation, that they do not justify the risk to our economy, our health, our environment and to the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve.
Because of these and others reasons, I respectfully insist that as my representative and as a public servant, you take whatever measures are available to you to stop the establishment of the Paredoness Amarillos mine in the Sierra de la Laguna.

http://ParedonesAmarillosNo.com

Sincerely,

(YOUR NAME)

PLEASE ACT NOW AND PASS THIS ON TO OTHERS

ParedonesAmarillosNO.com VistaGoldNo.com

Illegal: Authorization to Grant Zoning for Activities that Risk the Environment

2010-11-12T13:39:00.001-07:00

This week Congresswoman Sonia Murillo Macias presented a Congressional initiative that would prohibit open pit gold mining in the State of Baja California Sur. The final vote is expected next week. This would mean the definitive denial of the change of zoning permits needed by Corcordia Gold (previously known as Paredones Amarillos mine) to proceed with their proposed mining project. Concordia Gold, owned by Vista Gold, previously know as Paredones Amarillos Gold mine, changed the company name earlier this year after meeting fierce resistance from the local population that sees the open pit gold mine as a risk to their water resources and the Sierra de la Laguna Bio Sphere Reserve. Many view the mine as a direct threat to the tourism, organic farming, agricultural, cattle and fishing industries that employ more than 71% of the population.

Congresswomen Murillo said, “In the past few days there have been diverse reforms to the state law for Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection that would prohibit state and local governments from granting open pit gold mining permits. It is now the State congress that must act to declare our position against such mines.”

The Congresswoman further declared that it would also prohibit permits for thermonuclear electric plants, as well as industries that use explosive and toxic materials. “In the Law for Economic Development we propose a vision that would consider our state appropriate for development in all sectors -tourist, commercial, fishing, agriculture and mining as long as the activities are sustainable.” She indicated that the state does not need contaminating industries to be economically successful.

She emphasized, “From now on it will be illegal for state and municipal governments, to authorize the change of zoning for industrial and commercial activities that pose a risk to the environment of Baja California Sur.”

Other members of Congress commented that Baja California Sur is no longer open to the transnational companies who think they can come to Mexico and open contaminating enterprises that would be prohibited in their own countries. Congressman Juan Hernandes Paularena emphasized, “ It is our right and responsibility to protect the unique quality of life that we enjoy in BCS. Let it be known that our children’s future is not for sale.”

Attorney Ariel Ruiz Castillo, President of the citizen’s organization known as “Agua Vale Mas Que Oro” (Water is worth more than Gold), said, “We live in a pristine, virgin environment and the gold mining companies come and give us computers and tell us that they will build a school or a clinic. They think they can seduce us with beads and mirrors like the early conquerors. Do they think that we are ignorant, that such trinkets will mitigate the risks they ask us to take? They say, "just trust us." These are hit and run companies who take the gold and leave us with the mess. Why should we trust a company that has no stake in the future of our state? No we cannot trust them.”

A Rose by any other Name.....CONCORDIA GOLD NO!

2010-09-08T18:26:00.004-06:00

Vista Gold announced that they will change the name of the Open Pit Gold Mind known as Paredones Amarillos to Concordia Gold. The Paredones Amarillos mining project has been soundly rejected and condemned by the community and government of Baja California Sur so now the parent company Vista Gold wants to rebrand with the new name Concordia Gold - calling the mine an environmentally friendly "open pit gold mine".

One must ask how is it possible for an open pit gold mine to be environmentally friendly? That in itself is a contradiction of terms. Now Vista Gold admits that their project has been divisive and poorly planned and negative for our community. They think that some how if they just change the name to Concordia, the Baja California Sur community will support this very aggressive mining project. That somehow having a new name will make them environmentally friendly.

No matter what the mine is called, the issues are the same;

polluted water, cyanide pollution, arsenic contamination.

How can any sane person conceive of putting an open pit gold mine in an environmentally sensitive area such as the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve. They ask that we allow them to place our people and economy at risk in exchange for a couple of hundred jobs over ten years. How can Vista Gold ask Baja California to jeopardize our precious fresh water and the health of our children so they can make money.

No Vista Gold! No Concordia Gold! No Paredones Amarillos!

DENVER, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Vista Gold Corp. ("Vista" or the "Company") (TSX & NYSE Amex Equities: VGZ) today announced that it has changed the name of its wholly-owned Paredones Amarillos gold project in Baja California Sur, Mexico to the Concordia gold project. The Company believes this will better reflect the integration of the project with the environmental, social and economic priorities of the region.
The name Concordia (translated as "agreement" or "oneness") was selected after a wide-ranging dialogue with local communities and other project stakeholders. The name change is part of a broad program intended to communicate Vista's commitment to developing the Concordia gold project in a way that is consistent with contemporary standards for sustainable development, environmental stewardship, and the health and safety of the communities in which the Company operates.
Fred Earnest, Vista's President and COO, stated, "In May of this year, we hired Hector Araya as the new General Manager of Concordia. With his participation, we are changing the way we communicate with the local community and officials concerning the very real benefits offered by the Concordia gold project, which could include significant opportunities for direct and indirect employment, education, and improved quality of life. Vista is working hard to communicate to stakeholders that the Concordia gold project will employ state of the art environmental practices and operate in a manner that is designed to protect the natural environment and the Sierra de La Laguna Biosphere."
The Company believes that the name change reflects the spirit of its collaboration and the values it shares with the local communities and project stakeholders as the Concordia gold project moves forward.

WE OPPOSE THE VISTA GOLD OPEN PIT MINE AT PAREDONES AMARILLAS

2009-11-18T18:17:00.003-07:00

The citizens of Baja California Sur oppose the open pit gold mine know as Paredones Amarillas located in the Municipality of La Paz. This blog is dedicated to providing information about the dangers this project will pose to our community. We are prompted to act by the continuing efforts of parent company Vista Gold in their ongoing public relations initiative to convince the Mexican Government that the open pit Gold Mine known as Paradones Amarillas is environmentally benign, and that it is socially and economically desirable for them to allow an open pit gold mine in the midst of the pristine Sierra de la Laguna biosphere. WATER IS WORTH MORE THAN GOLD! For information in Spanish go to http://ParedonesAmarillosNO.com

Excellent News!

2009-11-15T13:21:00.000-07:00

Vista Gold Corp. Announces Dismissal of Change of Forest Land Use Permit Application for the Paredones Amarillos Gold Project

DENVER, Feb. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Vista Gold Corp. ("Vista" or the "Company") (TSX & NYSE Amex Equities: VGZ) announced today that its wholly owned Mexican subsidiary, Minera Paredones Amarillos S.A. de C.V. ("MPA") has received notice from the Mexican Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources ("SEMARNAT") that SEMARNAT has dismissed, on administrative grounds, MPA's application for the Change of Forest Land Use Permit ("CUSF") for the Company's Paredones Amarillos gold project in Baja California Sur, Mexico ("Paredones Project"). Specifically, SEMARNAT dismissed the CUSF application, without a review of its substantive merit, for MPA's alleged failure to satisfy certain procedural and informational requirements. The CUSF is required before the Company can commence construction of the Paredones Project. The Company is currently amending its CUSF application to address SEMARNAT's specific procedural and informational requirements and intends to re-file the application shortly.
In addition, while not formally the basis for SEMARNAT's dismissal, SEMARNAT communicated what it believes are additional issues with the Company's CUSF application, which SEMARNAT stated it was not able to resolve due to a lack of information, including:

SEMARNAT's refusal to recognize the validity of the Temporary Occupation Permits granted to MPA by the Mexican General Direction of Mines, which are a pre-requisite to filing for a CUSF, on the basis that the project is located in an environmentally protected area over which the Mexican General Direction of Mines does not have jurisdiction;
The National Commission for Biodiversity objects to the project on environmental grounds; and
MPA's failure to obtain an official communication from the Mexican Natural Protected Areas Commission ("CONANP") acknowledging CONANP's conformity with MPA's application for the CUSF.

While the Company believes these comments are without legal merit and that several of the comments are beyond the scope of SEMARNAT's legal authority in connection with a review of a CUSF application, the Company expects the dismissal of the CUSF application will delay the commencement of construction, development and production of the Paredones Project. In addition to re-filing its CUSF application, the Company is working with its legal counsel and political experts in Mexico on a broader strategy for the advancement of the permitting process for the Paredones Project. This includes a potential court challenge to SEMARNAT's dismissal of the CUSF application as the Company's advisors believe the legal basis for the dismissal was incorrect. The Company will continue to provide information and updates as they become available.

Canadian Mining Companies at Odds with Many in Mexico by Frontera Norte Sur

2009-11-14T15:41:00.002-07:00

If many locals have their way, Canada's Mexican gold rush won't extend to the southern tip of Baja California. Planned for a site within the Sierra de la Laguna biosphere, the Paredones Amarillos gold mine is awaiting approval of a land use permit from federal authorities that could pave the way for the extraction an estimated 1.2 million ounces of gold over a period of 9.3 years.

But plans for the open pit mine proposed by Canadian-owned Vista Gold Corporation are sparking opposition from environmentalists and residents. Critics contend that metals and chemicals used in the mining process could contaminate precious groundwater supplies, scar a fragile ecosystem and threaten public health. Further, they fear critical sea turtle and whale habitats could be jeopardized from the construction of a desalination plant designed to pipe in water for mining operations from a coastal site at Las Playitas.

Ariel Ruiz, spokesman for a local citizens' movement gaining steam in Todos Santos and nearby communities, said opponents have gathered 3,000 signatures on a petition against a mine.

"What we are really talking about is that all the water we consume comes from the (Sierra de la Laguna)," Ruiz said. "People are opposed because it is a high price they might have to pay for this investment."

Boasting mixed stands of pine and oak, and recognized by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization as a world biosphere, the Sierra de la Laguna is the source of groundwater for a wide swath of Baja California Sur.

Vista Gold President Fred Earnest and project manager Carlos Calderon both dispute environmentalists' contentions that Paredones Amarillos would cause ecological harm. According to Calderon, Vista Gold will utilize environmentally sensitive, state-of-the-art mining technology and practices and uphold "the highest international standards" like the International Cyanide Management Code.

Projected to create nearly 400 construction and 300 mining jobs if it moves forward, the Paredones Amarillos mine will entail an investment of $170 million, according to Earnest. Also serving as Vista Gold's chief operating officer, Earnest pledged his company will establish a foundation to support health care and education in Baja California Sur.

"We want to be a responsible corporate citizen in Baja California Sur," Earnest said.

A decision on Vista Gold's land use permit application is expected sometime early next year.

The Paredones Amarillo controversy is among the latest ones to arise from the aggressive expansion of Canadian mining companies in Mexico. Already dominating foreign investment in the country's fast-growing mining sector, 200 Canadian companies are reportedly scouring 400 places in the Mexican Republic for possible new mines.

The surge in Canadian mining activities in Mexico and other parts of the world is being enthusiastically underwritten by the Harper administration. According to a compendium prepared by the Halifax Initiative, a coalition of non-governmental groups founded to press for reform of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, numerous government programs help subsidize Canadian mining companies through direct loans and guarantees, insurance, foreign aid policies, and stock investments from public pension funds.

The central Mexican state of San Luis Potosi is another front in the mining vs. environment battle. A long-running fight between local landowners and a national network of environmental and human rights activists on one side, and the Vancouver-based New Gold Incorporated on the other, almost came to a head last month when Mexico's Secretariat for the Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) revoked an operating permit for the company's Cerro de San Pedro mine.

Reiterating charges that New Gold's operations were provoking public health problems from cyanide and mercury emissions, as well as causing damages to a historic church and other buildings, opponents applauded the decision. This month, however, a Mexican court threw out Semarnat's decision. Withdrawing the mining permit, the court stated, would adversely impact 500 direct and 1,500 indirect jobs linked to the mine. New Gold, the court ruled, "has always respected environmental rules that regulate the activity it pursues."

A citizen complaint about the mine was rejected earlier this year by the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation. The Montreal-based commission is charged with investigating and issuing records of fact on environmental problems in the three member nations of the North American Free Trade Agreement [NAFTA].

In some places, violence has been directed against mining opponents. After months of reportedly suffering threats, jail and even physical assault, Mariano Abarca, a prominent anti-mining organizer for the Mexican Anti-Mining Network (REMA) in Chiapas, was shot to death November 27 in the town of Chicomuselo, where farmers have waged a struggle against a barite mine run by the Canadian-Mexican firm Blackfire Exploration Ltd.

Earlier this month, Chiapas state law enforcement officials arrested three men purportedly connected to Blackfire Exploration Mexico for Abarca's murder. Citing environmental violations, the Chiapas state government also ordered the Chicomuselo mine temporarily shut down.

Samuel Ruiz, the former bishop of San Cristobal de las Casas, spoke out against the murder of the environmental activist. In order to prevent more deaths like Abarca's, Ruiz appealed for an end to the "criminalization of defenders, as well as the stigmatization and repression of organized peaceful protest."

A growing international scandal surrounds the Abarca murder. According to Rick Arnold, coordinator of the non-government organization Common Frontiers-Canada, documents in the possession of REMA and its supporters show that Blackfire was funneling $1,000 monthly into an account controlled by Chicomuselo's mayor for the purpose of keeping company opponents "under control."

The activist's slaying is helping stoke a rising debate over the conduct of Canadian companies abroad and the Harper government's role in promoting resource extraction in the developing world.

Opposed by the Harper administration and the mining industry, a piece of legislation pending in the Canadian Parliament, Bill C-300, proposes to make public financial and political support for private mining companies contingent on meeting human rights, environmental and health standards. A second bill, C-345, would permit foreigners to sue Canadian companies in Canadian courts for human rights abuses committed abroad.

Ottawa is clearly concerned about the ramifications of the Abarca murder. Two high officials, Canadian Governor-General Michaelle Jean and Peter Kent, junior foreign minister for the Americas, visited Chiapas shortly after Abarca's slaying, but did not meet with REMA members, as was requested by the group.

On December 18, four Canadian organizations — Common Frontiers-Canada, Mining Watch Canada, United Steelworkers, and Council of Canadians — jointly announced they would pursue legal charges with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police against Blackfire for violating the 1998 Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act.

There was no immediate comment from Blackfire, but an undated statement posted on the company's website lamented violence in Chicomuselo and expressed sympathy with family members of victims.

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Sources: Miningwatch.org, December 18, 2009. Press statement. El Universal, September 7, 2009; December 9, 14 and 15, 2009. Articles by Alberto Aguilar, Gladys Rodriguez, Oscar Gutierrez and Adriana Ochoa. Narconews.com, December 14, 2009. Article by Kristin Bricker. El Diario de Juarez, November 13, 2009. Greenpeace Mexico, November 19, 2009. Press statement. Ecoamericas, November 2009. Proceso/Mining Watch Canada, August 26, 2009. Article by Isain Mandujano and Sandra Cuffee. Commission for Environmental Cooperation, July 15, 2009. Press statement. Halifaxinitiative.info. Blackfireexploration.com.

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Frontera NorteSur (FNS)

Center for Latin American and Border Studies

New Mexico State University

Las Cruces, New Mexico

DIRTY GOLD VIDEOS!

2009-11-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

DIRTY GOLD
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qc48hbKouk

SAN PEDRO GOLD MINE CLOSED BY THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT NOV. 12, 2009
www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1aQ71SdZZA

SEARS AND KMART: NO DIRTY GOLD!

2009-11-11T20:00:00.001-07:00

Sears/Kmart join other jewelers in pledging to avoid *dirty* gold

60 jewelers now committed to sourcing precious metals responsibly

Washington, D.C, 11/18 -- Three major jewelry retailers today announced their decision to shun irresponsible gold mining and seek cleaner sources of gold and precious metals. Sears Holdings (parent company of Sears and Kmart), Ultra Stores, and Blue Nile all signed the No Dirty Gold campaign's Golden Rules for responsible sourcing of precious metals, bringing the total number of jewelry retail signatories up to 60. These jewelry retailers include 7 of the top 10 jewelry retail firms in the United States, and represent over $1.3 billion in annual US jewelry sales, or nearly a quarter of total sales.

"The No Dirty Gold campaign is a great initiative that pushes for sustainability and ethnical sourcing on gold. We are proud to be a part of it and to offer our customers gold that was obtained in a responsible manner", said Michelle Pearlman, Senior Vice President and President of Jewelry at Sears Holdings. "Sears strives to be a green company and we will continue to work to build lifetime relationships with our customers starting from the mines up."

Jewelers are realizing that their customers are concerned about dirty gold and the devastating effect of gold mining on communities and the environment. The production of one gold ring generates, on average, 20 tons of mine waste. Gold mining has been linked to human rights violations, forest destruction, toxic pollution, and loss of lands and livelihoods.

"The No Dirty Gold campaign applauds this important step taken by Sears, Kmart, Blue Nile and Ultra Stores," said Payal Sampat of Earthworks, which spearheads the No Dirty Gold campaign. "We look forward to working with these companies to find solutions to irresponsible gold mining practices."

Sears, Ultra, and Blue Nile have signed on to the Golden Rules at a time when discussions are advancing on third party certification of more responsible mining practices through the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA). The Golden Rules signatories have committed to seeking third party certification of responsible sourcing when it becomes available.

The Golden Rules call on mining companies to meet the following basic standards in their operations:

Respect basic human rights outlined in international conventions and law
Obtain the free, prior, and informed consent of affected communities.
Respect workers' rights and labor standards, including safe working conditions
Ensure that operations are not located in areas of armed or militarized conflict
Ensure that projects do not force communities off their lands
Ensure that projects are not located in protected areas, fragile ecosystems, or other areas of high conservation or ecological value
Refrain from dumping mine wastes into the ocean, rivers, lakes, or streams
Ensure that projects do not contaminate water, soil, or air with sulfuric acid drainage or other toxic chemicals
Cover all costs of closing down and cleaning up mine sites
Fully disclose information about social and environmental effects of projects
Allow independent verification of the above

Mexican Up In Arms Against Mine

2009-11-11T16:21:00.003-07:00

By John Holman in San Pedro, Mexico
Armando Mendoza points to the huge cracks in the walls of his house in San Pedro, Mexico.
Gesturing to the ceiling that recently fell in, he shows the damage caused by the daily explosions from the Canadian-owned mine San Xavier, which crouches over this small village.
Armando is one of the residents who opposed the mine when it was proposed by New Gold, the Canadian gold-mining company, in 1996. The community has been bitterly split over the project, which has brought jobs to some, but also razed the hill behind this former tourist destination.
The explosions from the mines have caused fast-spreading damage, breaking apart

buildings,including a colonial-era church. But now, the local population have also had to contend with wire fences set up around the roads, marking off the green spaces within the village. Armando says they were erected by local authorities in collusion with the mine. "The fences have been put up by the mine to get us out, so that we don't have space to move. That is the ambition of this company, that we leave the village," he said.

Access to mineral wealth
San Xavier is owned by the Corporation New Gold, one of several Canadian mining companies attracted to Mexico by low royalty payments, an accommodating government and easy access to mineral wealth under relaxed Mexican laws. Opponents of the mine claim that it has already wreaked irreversible environmental damage on the region, introducing cyanide into the water system that serves the state capital.

The region, with its rare species of cactus and fauna, was in the process of becoming a protected environmental site.

Now the area exploited by the mine resembles a lunar crater. For their part, the mine operators say that they constantly monitor subterranean water to check contamination levels and that the company has rescued more than 23,330 cacti from five protected species, as well as pursuing a reforestation plan. Hector Barrí, the local lawyer who heads the legal opposition to the mine, has obtained three federal tribunal orders to cease its operation on environmental grounds.

Resistance

However, the Mexican Environmental Secretary (SEMARNAT) has so far failed to enforce the sentence, allowing the mine to continue operating.

Environmental authorities have not yet enforced a ban on the mine's operations [EPA]

With the latest court order against the mine, decreed this October, Barri feels the government will now be forced to act. "The Mexican environmental secretary cannot give a third permission [to Mina San Xavier] because it would be obvious that it had sold itself to a transnational company."
In the meantime, local residents continue to oppose the mine despite the dangers they may face. Enrique Rivera Sierra, a lawyer and protester, was badly beaten whilst handing out literature against the mine.

Fellow activists say that the case against the two attackers has been shelved indefinitely by the local authorities. In other parts of the country the government has intervened against anti-mine protesters.

This August in Chiapas, Southern Mexico, activist Mariano Abarca was herded into an unmarked van by gunmen and then held for three days without contact with his family.

Reports later indicated that the capture was actually an arrest by undercover state police.

Economic revival?
Claims that the mines bring economic revival and employment opportunities to local communities are disputed by Valeria Scorza of non-governmental organisation PRODESC.

"The local town economy and investment becomes linked to the mining industry ... That's why you see phantom villages where the mine has closed"
Valeria Scorza, PRODESC

She says that the jobs are fleeting and that the environmental and eventual economical cost is high. "The life of a mine on average is between 15 and 20 years. Obviously if it is an open pit mine it causes ecological devastation and enormous health problems. Also the local town economy and investment becomes linked to the mining industry.

"So there is no development of other economical activities which can be sustainable in the long-term future.

"That's why you see phantom villages where the mine has closed, there's no economy for people to work in and there is a large amount of migration." It is unlikely that Canadian firms will stop their rush for precious metals in Mexico with important new discoveries still being made.

The poor southern states of Oaxaca and Chiapas appear top of their list with 72 mining concessions already granted in Chiapas alone between 2003 and 2006, according to a report titled 'Made in Canada Violence: Mining in Mexico'.

With little help from the Mexican government, it will be left to those local communities to fight alone for their water, their livelihoods and their land.

New York Times Uncovers Real Cost of Gold

2009-11-11T16:18:00.002-07:00

New York Times Uncovers Real Cost of Gold

December 2005. The price of gold is higher than it's been in 17 years. But much of the gold left to be mined is microscopic and is being wrung from the earth at enormous environmental cost, often in some of the poorest corners of the world. In The Cost of Gold series, New York Times reporters describe gold mining's toll with stories from the western United States, Guatemala, Ghana, Indonesia, and Peru.

"Behind Gold's Glitter: Torn Lands and Pointed Questions" (Part 1)
"Treasure of Yanacocha: Tangled Strands in Fight Over Peru Gold Mine" (Part 2) (PDF 61KB)
"Below a Mountain of Wealth, a River of Waste" (Part 3) (PDF 377KB)
"A Drier and Tainted Nevada May Be Legacy of a Gold Rush" (Part 4) (PDF 348KB)
Flash slide show: The Cost of Gold: 30 Tons an Ounce
Flash slide show: The Cost of Gold: Treasure of Yanacocha
"The Curse of Inca Gold" (PBS/New York Times documentary)

PAREDONES AMARILLOS: Before and After Mine Excavation

2009-11-11T16:07:00.010-07:00

Water vs. 3700 tons of Arsenic

2009-11-11T16:06:00.009-07:00

left: The hands and feet of arsenic poisoning
Clean Water is more precious than gold!

Vista Gold mining company is proposing to excavate a large open pit gold mine in the Paradones Amarillas area of the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere. The mining site is located west of El Triunfo in the sierra above the Carrizal agricultural zone.

While there are many reasons to oppose this mining project, the most important is the risk of arsenic contamination in our aquifers. The mine will take out 37 tons of gold, but also bring to the surface 3700 tons of arsenic. With every hurricane or heavy rain this exposed arsenic will leach into the aquifers for generations.

These are some of the other impacts we are concerned with:

- Pollution of underground water supplies, derived from the infiltration of chemicals used during the gold production process, mainly lead, arsenic and cyanide. This type of pollution is always dangerous, and it is even more so in a region like this one, where water is so scarce.

- The impacts that this pollution would have on productive activities throughout the region, including agriculture, livestock and tourism.

- The impacts of mining activity on the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere Reserve, one of the most important ecosystems in the state and in the whole country. It is troubling to see how close the proposed mine is to the core area of the Reserve.

- Social impacts normally associated with gold mining on all the towns and communities located within the project's influence area, including the cities of La Paz and Todos Santos.

- The lack of a comprehensive closure plan and insufficient financial means to guarantee full closure and post-closure care.

CLEAN WATER IS MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD!

For more information about the dangers of Open Pit Gold Mining please see: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/24/international/24GOLD.html?_r=1 a month long series of articles about gold mining that was published by the New York times. Also see http://www.nodirtygold.org/ a series of articles and web sites you can visit for more information on open pit gold mines.

TEN THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW about Gold Mining and the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere - Pedro Zapata

2009-11-11T16:00:00.010-07:00

1.    WATER IS BORN IN THE SIERRA. While regions like La Paz, Todos Santos and Los Cabos get only a little less than 4 inches of rain every year, in the high parts of the Sierra the average yearly rainfall is around 40 inches. The Sierra de la Laguna is the main source of water for the southern part of our state.
2.    THE SIERRA DE LA LAGUNA HAS THE ONLY PINE FOREST IN THE STATE. The biodiversity of the Sierra de la Laguna is unique in the world. This forest contains the highest number of species of any terrestrial ecosystem in the state, including species
that exist nowhere else in the world, like 86 endemic species of vascular plants.
3.    THE SIERRA IS UNDER THREAT. In June 1994, the Sierra de la Laguna Biosphere
Reserve was created, in order to protect this important piece of our natural heritage. Nonetheless, plans are currently underway to build an open- pit gold mine inside this protected area, in the Paredones Amarillos region. Because of its location and the technology it would use, the construction of this mine would represent a significant threat to the Sierra de la Laguna, its biodiversity, and its role as the water source of thousands of people.
4.    A GOLD MINE IS FAR OUTLIVED BY THE WASTE AND POLLUTION IT GENERATES. The Paredones Amarillos gold mine plans to operate for only 9.5 years. The impacts generated by the mine’s waste and the chemicals used in its operation remain toxic for a long time and can last hundreds of years.
5.    GOLD MINES ARE VERY POLLUTING. Extracting gold from stones is a process that uses and generates extremely toxic chemicals that can pollute water sources, this process also relies heavily on daily detonations that have very harmful effects on wildlife. The deadliest of these chemicals include cyanide, arsenic, sulfuric acid, lead, mercury and other heavy metals that can have dramatic effects on human health and on ecosystems.
6.    MOST NEW GOLD IS USED FOR JEWLERY. A very small percentage of newly minted gold is destined for technology or medicine-related uses. Worldwide, a large portion of gold production; more than 80% according to some of the reviewed sources, is used in the jewelry industry. The production of a single gold ring, for example, generates up to 20 tons of waste.
7.    OPEN-PIT GOLD MINING CREATES MOUNTAINS OF WASTE. LITERALLY. The Paredones Amarillos mine plans to extract around 40 tons of gold during the 9.5 year operation of the mine. Producing this amount of gold, according to the mine’s own calculations, will generate a ton of waste, per each gram of gold. This represents the production, during 9.5 years, of 40 million tons of waste; roughly 11,000 tons every day.
8.    GOLD MINES LEAVE BEHIND GIANT CRATERS WHERE ECOSYSTEMS USED TO BE. The Paredones Amarillos mine plans to dig a 58.7 hectare crater in the Sierra. This is roughly equivalent to the 36 city blocks, or 54 football fields.
9.    OPEN PIT GOLD MINING HAS A DARK HISTORY IN MEXICO AND THE WORLD. Across the globe, from Africa to Central America, different communities have experienced first-hand the environmental and social impacts of open- pit god, mining. More and more, empowered communities have refused to allow mining inside or close to sensitive ecosystems.
10. THERE IS STILL TIME. In the coming months, decisions will be made in La Paz and Mexico City to allow or prohibit the construction of the Paredones Amarillos gold mine. You can help protect the Sierra de la Laguna. Distribute this document and stay tuned. In the next few weeks we will be proposing specific activities to protect the Sierra de la Laguna.

LETTER TO VISTA GOLD AND MINERA PAREDONES AMARILLOS

2009-11-11T15:24:00.006-07:00

Mr. Michael B. Richings
Executive Chairman, CEO and Director
Vista Gold Corp.

Mr. Carlos Calderon
Vice President and General Manager
Minera Paredones Amarillos, S.A. de C.V.

The subscribers of this letter want to express our profound concern regarding the proposed open pit gold mine project known as “Paredones Amarillos”, to be located in the Sierra de la Laguna region, in Baja California Sur. We know that, in recent days, authorizations were given to the project to begin exploration at 4 different sites. Should this exploration yield positive results, we are concerned that Vista Gold might be tempted to rapidly move ahead with the project, without engaging in a dialogue with the community and without sufficient attention to the potential environmental and social impacts of the project.

Our fears are not without substance. The environmental and social impacts of gold mining in Mexico and elsewhere in the world have been well documented. Around the world, mines like the one proposed for Paredones Amarillos have affected local livelihoods, leeched cyanide into water supplies and caused significant impacts to local ecosystems.

These are some of the impacts we are concerned with:

- The impacts that this pollution would have on productive activities throughout the region, including agriculture, livestock and tourism.

- Social impacts normally associated with gold mining on all the towns and communities located within the project's influence area, including the cities of La Paz and Todos Santos.

- The need for a comprehensive closure plan, including sufficient financial means to guarantee full closure and post-closure care.

Having outlined the previous points, we wish to engage in a dialogue with Vista Gold Corp. We would like to give the company an opportunity to present its vision for the project, as well as its environmental management plan and its planned environmental and social mitigation and compensation measures.

We believe that such a dialogue is not only convenient, but a necessary step in the establishment of a healthy relationship between Vista Gold and the community of Baja California Sur.

Please direct your response to Pedro Zapata, Water Program Coordinator at Niparaja