[Espanol]
Buenos Aires, May 13, 2011: Barrick Gold violates the law
The
environmental groups Greenpeace, Environment and Natural Resources
Foundation (FARN), Argentina Association of Environmental Lawyers
(AAdeAA), Friends of the Earth and the Environment Dialogue (DXA) filed a
complaint with the Supreme Court's Office with a request ordering
the immediate cessation of activities of the binational mining project
"Pascua Lama" (San Juan), pursuant to the Law on Protection of glaciers,
and provided the "immediate suspension" of the precautionary measures
to prevent their implementation in the province.
According
to the lawsuit, Barrick Gold violates the
prohibition in Article 6 of the Act on Minimum Standards for Protection
of glaciers and periglacial environment (No. 26639) and is developing
its activities on glaciers and periglacial environment.
The
lawsuit also asks for the "the immediate suspension of interim
measures ordered by a federal court in San Juan" which impede the
implementation in the province of the key articles of the standard.
The lawsuit petitions to ensure the full observance of the Law on Protection of
glaciers, and ordering the immediate implementation of the National
Inventory of Glaciers and Environmental Audit of the standard on the
Pascua-Lama venture. The court filing also asks for an order requiring the
defendants (the National Government, the Province of San Juan and the
company Barrick Gold and its subsidiaries) to perform works of rehabilitation for environmental damage already caused.
The
demand of environmental groups is part of the case brought before the
Supreme Court, "Padilla Echeverry VARGAS, Ricardo Marcelo c / SAN JUAN,
Province and others / environmental damage", where citizens complained of the environmental impact of Pascua-Lama even before the enactment of the Law on Protection of glaciers.
Contact: Enrico Viale President Argentina Association of Environmental Lawyers (AAdeAA)
Published on Friday, May 13, 2011 EMAIL
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