BUENOS AIRES, Oct 1 (Reuters) - A cyanide solution spill at
Barrick Gold Corp's ABX.TO Veladero mine in western Argentina
did not contaminate local water supplies, preliminary tests by
U.N. investigators showed.
The Sept. 13 leak was caused by a defective valve and
prompted a court order that forced Barrick to temporarily halt
pumping the cyanide solution used in the leaching process. The
ban was lifted last week.
Initial results from samples taken from surface water five
days after the spill "showed no deviation from measurements
taken in June 2015," the report showed.
Felipe Saavedra, the mining minister in San Juan province
where Veladero is located, said the results indicated "there was
no proof of contamination."
The tests were conducted by the United Nations Office for
Project Services and the United Nations Environment Programme,
which late last year began auditing the legal compliance and
environment standards of mines in the province.
Residents living near the mine that the spill have worried
that local rivers and aquifers might be contaminated.
A legal complaint has been filed against nine Barrick
employees in connection with the leak. The nine have not been
formally charged at this point, and Judge Pablo Oritja is
expected to take testimony from the employees next week as well
as receive documents from the local government to determine if
the case should proceed.
The Veladero mine produced 722,000 ounces of gold last year.