CMD confirms increase of disease in Barrick mine area
People living near Barrick Gold's Pueblo Viejo gold mine installations are already suffering the dire consequences of what is described as widespread pollution in the area blamed on the use of cyanide for gold mining.
7dias.com.do reports that on Friday 23 August, a team of doctors from the Dominican Medical Association (CMD) and the online environmental network, National Environmental Assembly, were in Sanchez Ramirez province to see for themselves "the terrible consequences of the mining operations in its first year of operation."
"The situation is very serious and very unfortunate," said CMD president Dr. Amarilis Herrera, who reported seeing more than 30 cases of cyanide poisoning in a single morning.
Some mornings, say local residents, the smell of cyanide, "a hellish stench," invades their farmlands, their houses and bedrooms and there is no way of stopping it. "The stink is unbearable, we don't know where to go and when it rains, it is even stronger," said Pedro Nunez. The report says that the substance has infiltrated the rivers, a source of life for people in these communities, and the waters are unusable. The reporter says that Barrick is well aware of this because it is distributing four 5-gallon bottles of water per family every three days to prevent them from using river water. Former cattle rancher Gavino Guzman of Las Lagunas said he has a severe ulcer on his right foot and all his cattle have died.
Breathing problems, skin ulcers, throat problems, gastric ailments, dizziness, diarrhea, and headaches are the most common consequences of the pollution, says the report.
Dr. Herrera says that if the situation continues, "people are going to start dying, these are very toxic metals that damage the brain and other organs," she said, as reported in 7dias.com.do
She warned that this is only a sample of what could happen nationwide. "All this is going to go on spreading and it could become regional and subsequently national pollution, and the consequences are going to be very unfortunate for this country," she said.
The promised mega-mining development is a cruel trick by the government and these companies at the expense of people living in La Pinita, La Cerca, Las Lagunas and other neighboring communities, says the report. "Barrick has not benefitted us in any way, some got jobs but only for four months and now we are just as poor but we are sick," said Joanna Garcia.
Alerta: en Cotu? se respira muerte - Peri?dico Digital Dominicano - 7d?as.com.do