Authorities in the Argentine province of San Juan fined Barrick Gold, the world’s largest gold mining company, for more than $ 9 million for leaking cyanide last year. A Canadian company was fined for breaking the rules after cyanide, used to extract precious metal, got into the river from a damaged pipe.
Representatives of Barrick Gold said they regret what happened, but noted that they quickly took steps to stop the leak. Local nongovernmental organizations consider the fine too small and call for a total ban on open pit mining using toxic substances. Canadian company Barrick Gold mines gold in the mines of the United States, Canada, Australia, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Tanzania.