Barrick Gold's effect on DR Environment - important video!

AlterEgo

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Jan 9, 2009
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serv
Excellent video, take the time to watch it!




<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?video_id=243708002432155" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0"></iframe>
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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I watched the whole video.
VERY Slick production.
They should not be upset with "Barrick Gold", but with their government that signed the contract!
The sole purpose of the video, is NOT to promote the Dominican environment, but to support the government's plan to force "Barrick" into a new contract.
This video is no doubt backed, and financed, by the government, not DR's environmentalist.
The people will not receive the "Spoils" of the mine, only government officials, and other connected individuals here in the DR, and abroad.
Once a new contract is forced on "Barrick", to the huge monetary benefit of the DR government, "Barrick" will just continue raping the environment, exactly as they are now.
Nothing will change, just more money for the "Politicos"!
Nice video, but it is not to help the environment!
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the gorgon

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Sep 16, 2010
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You're right Criss, lots of postings on FB by Dominicans:

View attachment 955

actually, there is a release in other news outlets that the Dominican government signed the Barrick contract without having read it. maybe it was too much work. maybe they just wanted to get the meetings over quickly, so they could run off to the Mercedes Benz dealers before they ran out of S500s.
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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You must be able to read, before you can "READ"!
The DR's constitution prohibits anyone literate from running for office here!
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Mar 1, 2009
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I don't know how these people can live with themselves destroying such a beautifully breathtaking country. They got no souls and should be publicly stoned.
 
Nov 25, 2008
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Honestly the Dominican Government will sell their mother's soul if they can make a buck, Screw DR wanting a new contract, have the people who signed off on the contract to give back their kickbacks
 

westcan

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Sep 10, 2008
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ya, let's see a government come up with the estimated 3.6-3.8 billion dollar capital cost investment.

The gold is in the ground, a company makes a huge investment to extract it, which benefits all. Then once that huge initial investment is made, all the robbers come out of the woodwork to try and renege their agreements. Maybe they will try to nationalize the thing again, and f*** it all up one more time.
 

Ex-Canuck

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Dec 30, 2010
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Yes most dominicans are concerned about their envoirnment, hence the garbage in the ocean and everywhere else.
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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Honestly I wish I knew the truth of the matter. I understand the mine was owned by the government and was an environmental disaster and that one of the requirements put on Barrick was to remediate the damage.

I actually do have a good bit of experience in large watershed analysis and sedimentation and if I had the time it would be interesting to look at the info out there and compare it with the US EPA's standards for similar types of operations. I'm not sure it would be that difficult, just time consuming.
 

bob saunders

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Jan 1, 2002
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Honestly I wish I knew the truth of the matter. I understand the mine was owned by the government and was an environmental disaster and that one of the requirements put on Barrick was to remediate the damage.

I actually do have a good bit of experience in large watershed analysis and sedimentation and if I had the time it would be interesting to look at the info out there and compare it with the US EPA's standards for similar types of operations. I'm not sure it would be that difficult, just time consuming.

Barrick's record is of both highly controlled environmental practices OR terrible practices, so which Barrick has showed up in the DR?
 

SosuaSam

Member
Jan 4, 2010
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Barrick have to spend $75 million to clean up the mess left by the Dominican gov't company that just walked away from the mine site when they were done.

People are really concerned about the environment here - I guess that is why everyone throws garbage into ditches, along roads, junk lying everywhere, black fumed diesel vehicles. Actions are louder than words.

Years ago USA and Canada had a lot of pollution but that was part of the process of building an economy and infrastructure for the people that they all now enjoy. If you want to stay a poor country then make the decision that poverty is preferred over some land disturbance in a limited area. Of course people want it all, they want everything to be pristine but they all want lots of government services and quality infrastructure, and its not their problem to figure out how to get it, their only responsibility is to complain about both.
 

Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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Imagine other international possible investors watching how the DR Gov. manipulates international agreements.
The point is not wheather "Barrick" is good, or bad for the DR.
The point is,that, after Barrick's HUGE investment, now when the mine is about to be productive, DR gov. is out to screw them.
The environmental impact is a separate issue.
The DR Gov. is just using the environment as a "Straw Man" to gather support for their plan to null the contract!
Sure fits my description of "Dominican Mindset" to a "T"!
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suarezn

Gold
Feb 3, 2002
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The contract will not be renewed I'm sure, because once again BG will pay off legislators to give them preferred treatment. The contract is onerous that's for sure and The DR will get nothing out of it (The DR gets nothing until BG has gotten back ALL their investments - Which BTW who's monitoring what the real figure is? - and they get a minimum net profit of 10% a year), but The DR government is really the one to blame for giving it all away for a few bucks.

Fact nobody gives a $hit about Cotui, except us Cotuisanos. Nothing new here really. We're used to getting screwed without lube. Example...Cotui produces enough electricity to be self sufficient, yet all of it is taken away to power Playa Dorada and surrounding areas, while we're left with 12+ hours of blackouts. We have all of these mineral riches and in the end all we'll have left is a poisoned environment, because you can be 100% sure that once the gold is gone BG is not going to spend a dime to clean up after themselves.
 

bob saunders

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Jan 1, 2002
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The contract will not be renewed I'm sure, because once again BG will pay off legislators to give them preferred treatment. The contract is onerous that's for sure and The DR will get nothing out of it (The DR gets nothing until BG has gotten back ALL their investments - Which BTW who's monitoring what the real figure is? - and they get a minimum net profit of 10% a year), but The DR government is really the one to blame for giving it all away for a few bucks.

Fact nobody gives a $hit about Cotui, except us Cotuisanos. Nothing new here really. We're used to getting screwed without lube. Example...Cotui produces enough electricity to be self sufficient, yet all of it is taken away to power Playa Dorada and surrounding areas, while we're left with 12+ hours of blackouts. We have all of these mineral riches and in the end all we'll have left is a poisoned environment, because you can be 100% sure that once the gold is gone BG is not going to spend a dime to clean up after themselves.

Cotui produces electricity or a private company invested in producing electricity using the water resources in Cotui? Does the contract also call for clean up. Wasn't there a huge clean-up required before Barrick could even start? Has Barrick not contributed anything to Cotui, other than jobs? Answer these questions, then get back on your soapbox.
 

pinyon

New member
Jan 17, 2012
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Gold mining is a toxic endeavor. Barrick came in and cleaned up the horrendous mess that the DR government had made trying to mine the gold. Now, that it is a producing mine....they want to change the contract..... and producing lots of propaganda.... to get people that don't have critical thinking skills all riled up.....The mine has produced alot of jobs for Nationals, will provide royalties to the corrupt govt., and will bring in income tax dollars from ex-pats... along with the money that the ex-pats spend here. If the govt. wasn't corrupt it sure could be a great thing for the Dominican people. As far as destroying the environment....I can't think of much that man does that doesn't cause problems. I appreciate all of CC's posts - in this thread. As a side note.... I think the quest for gold is one of the stranger things that mankind does. We store it in vaults and some humans wear it.
 

suarezn

Gold
Feb 3, 2002
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Cotui produces electricity or a private company invested in producing electricity using the water resources in Cotui? Does the contract also call for clean up. Wasn't there a huge clean-up required before Barrick could even start? Has Barrick not contributed anything to Cotui, other than jobs? Answer these questions, then get back on your soapbox.

Cotui produces electricity from Hatillo lake, not a private company AFAIK. I hope the contract calls for cleanup, otherwise then it definitely should be ripped up. BG did do some cleanup (They claim they invested 75 million - Again who can verify this). Barrick has contributed some jobs to Cotui and a few things here and there...Piddly things in the grand scheme. What is your point? I understand you trying to defend this company as you're Canadian and directly or indirectly you're benefiting from this. Question? Could BG get away with such a contract in Canada?

Like I said before I don't even blame BG, but the corrupt Dominican government...heck if someone wanted to give me about 40 billion USD and all I have to do is invest a couple of billion who wouldn't take that deal?
 

Chip

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Jul 25, 2007
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IMO if Barrick was able to remedy the economic disaster they deserve to reap the benefits of their investment.

I also have two classmates who work there and they say the unions are the ones riling up the people for payoffs. BG has to negotiate with them when their money runs out and the word is that the politicians and the union leaders are making millions US.