LOS CABOS, Mexico -- Most Baja California boaters know that the East Cape’s mountains were mined for silver from 1910 to 1920, and El Triunfo mining
company named a popular anchorage Bahia de Muertos for massive train axles (not dead bodies) it buried underwater there in order to moor gold ore
barges. By 1920, profits withered and El Triunfo mine closed.
But gold and silver prices have been skyrocketing in recent years, so Mexico’s economic secretary has reexamined the nation’s resources. In June 2010,
the Mexico Geological Survey opened 12 sites in nine states to potential international mining investors: “gold diggers.”
Picacho Blanco is the name of one of those recently opened mining sites in Baja California Sur. The 163-square-mile site is located near the tourist
village of El Triunfo in the Sierra Laguna mountains. However, it is a UNESCO-designated Biological Reserve, and it is also the sole source of
drinking water for Los Cabos and Baja California’s East Cape.
For boaters, Picacho Blanco is a landmark peak (elevation 7,090 feet). It is visible (with binoculars) from ships offshore on the Pacific and is
visible on radar from Todos Santos down to Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo and around East Cape toward La Paz in the Sea of Cortez.
Humanos SOS, a collection of environmental groups in Mexico, is protesting to the Baja California Sur state legislature against “toxic open-pit mining
activities” and the use of cyanide and arsenic in mining practices -- specifically against plans by Pediment Gold Corp. of Canada and Vista Gold to
extract gold from the Picacho Blanco site.
On Jan. 16, Humanos SOS hopes to assemble at least 5,000 people at Playa del Tule to form a human SOS symbol on the beach, with participants
“expressing their support for local tourism,” to “ensure the permanence of Los Cabos as a world-class tourist destination and principal source of
employment in the region.”
Playa del Tule is the sandy river mouth a mile north of Chileno Bay, a popular yacht anchorage and dive site. On Highway 1, the hotel corridor between
Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, Playa del Tule is reached at the Km 16.2 exit, and a parking lot is available. For the group’s reports about
Baja California’s gold-mining practices and about the SOS protest event this month, visit bajasurviva.com and click “English.”
According to the La Paz newspaper Sudcaliforniano, Mexico’s two main environmental agencies, SEMARNAT and CONANP, have not yet completed the
permitting process for high- and low-impact exploration with at least six additional mining companies that are planning to dig exploratory holes at
Picacho Blanco, San Antonio de la Sierra, Los Planes and Las Colinas -- all in southern Baja California.
Other mining companies similarly engaged in Baja California exploration, according to the La Paz paper, include Barroteran, La Cieneguita, La
Pitahaya, La Cacachila, Recami, Paredones Amarillos and La Concordia.
Pediment Gold Corp.’s website pedimentgold.com reports that the company has drilled positive test samples at several Baja California sites and has
recently partnered with Argonaut Gold to mine in both Baja California and Sonora.
Eleven additional sites that the Mexico Geological Survey has opened to mine exploration are in the coastal states of Sonora, Sinaloa, Michoacan and
Oaxaca. The interior states of San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas, Nuevo Leon and Hidalgo also have mining sites opened for new development.
Release: ASUDES and Concordia Award Free Laptops to Baja Students
New laptop computers were handed to students and families from San Antonio, El Triunfo and El Rosario on October 2, 2010. The computers were provided
by the Concordia Project, a subsidiary of the Vista Gold Corp. Concordia is a Mexican company that is committed to the principles of 3BL (Triple
Bottom Line). The three key elements of measuring the success of a company under this new philosophy are the benefits it produces for People, the
impact of a company's operation on the Planet, and the Prosperity it brings to the communities where they are located and the stakeholders they serve.
The vision of 3BL is to measure success not by profit alone but by creating a better quality of life for all stakeholders in the process, including
the people of the community, while preserving the environment and taking on the full the provisions of the General Law of Ecological Equilibrium and
Environmental Protection, The General Law of Sustainable Forestry Development, and other applicable national laws.
"Our commitment to Baja California Sur is part of the reintroduction of our project and our philosophy of working hard to bring prosperity to the
people of the region," said Frederick H. Earnest, President of Vista Gold Corp.
In compliance with its social agenda, ASUDES, a nonprofit foundation sponsored by Concordia, handed out netbook computers to students and families
from San Antonio, El Triunfo and El Rosario. All of these communities are part of the Municipality of La Paz.
As part of its "Learn More, Take Action" program to benefit students with excellent grades from different schools, the mining company, through ASUDES,
delivered 16 netbook computers to recipients. Other computers will be available for the use of general public.
ASUDES, through Pax Terra, a provider of marketing, public relations and community outreach services, installed an internet-ready wireless access
network in the three towns as part of the overall ASUDES plan. The wireless networking systems provide internet-distributed satellite-broadband in
each community, with a speed of 1.5Mbps/512Kbps with VoIP for voice transmission.
In addition, ASUDES sponsors an internet room that will provide services to the community, and which offers classroom training provided by
professional experts in both internet technology and visual media, such as video and photography.
During the delivery of computer equipment and the initiation of the wireless internet service, Frederick H. Earnest, President of Vista Gold Corp.,
emphasized that these are the first of many programs that aim to improve the quality of life of the inhabitants of this part of Baja California Sur,
bringing them access to new technology and the worldwide web.
"Concordia bases its approach on working continuously for the welfare of the People, Planet and the Prosperity in Baja California Sur. It is very
satisfying to contribute in this way by providing young students with better tools to increase and improve their communication skills. This is a clear
demonstration of how people can benefit from ASUDES' programs," said Earnest.
Mr. Hector Araya, General Manager of the Concordia Project and Genaro Cervantes, President of ASUDES talked about the company's commitment to listen
closely to the concerns of the inhabitants of the region and to provide necessary support.
They stated that these actions of ASUDES support the communities of San Antonio, El Triunfo and El Rosario by offering the means to connect to new
global communication channels and gain access to new information and a worldwide perspective as a first step in increasing the opportunities of the
people of the area.
The awards ceremony was held in the main square of San Antonio and was attended by students and parents, principals and teachers of schools, local
officials, including the Subdelegation of the Municipality of La Paz, as well as the Board of Directors of ASUDES and their families.
Vista Gold Corp. Changes Name of Its Development Project in Baja California Sur, Mexico to Concordia
DENVER, Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Vista Gold Corp. ("Vista" or the "Company") (TSX & NYSE Amex Equities: VGZ) today announced that it has changed
the name of its wholly-owned Paredones Amarillos gold project in Baja California Sur, Mexico to the Concordia gold project. The Company believes this
will better reflect the integration of the project with the environmental, social and economic priorities of the region.
The name Concordia (translated as "agreement" or "oneness") was selected after a wide-ranging dialogue with local communities and other project
stakeholders. The name change is part of a broad program intended to communicate Vista's commitment to developing the Concordia gold project in a way
that is consistent with contemporary standards for sustainable development, environmental stewardship, and the health and safety of the communities in
which the Company operates.
Fred Earnest, Vista's President and COO, stated, "In May of this year, we hired Hector Araya as the new General Manager of Concordia. With his
participation, we are changing the way we communicate with the local community and officials concerning the very real benefits offered by the
Concordia gold project, which could include significant opportunities for direct and indirect employment, education, and improved quality of life.
Vista is working hard to communicate to stakeholders that the Concordia gold project will employ state of the art environmental practices and operate
in a manner that is designed to protect the natural environment and the Sierra de La Laguna Biosphere."
The Company believes that the name change reflects the spirit of its collaboration and the values it shares with the local communities and project
stakeholders as the Concordia gold project moves forward.BajaNews - 1-5-2011 at 09:42 PM
If Vista stays true to form for Canadian Mining Companies, they will play friendly up-front but screw off and cut every corner during operations and
cleanup??? Forget it. Remember Summitville, Colorado, McCoy-Cove, Nevada, Golden Sunlight, Montana....... I know of hidden environmental time
bombs buried at several other Nevada, Montana, Colorado and Montana mining operations managed by the irresponsible Canadians who evaded environmental
laws and inspections! The contamination issues will be re-discovered as the contaminated water is developed for drinking water resources which will
happen in time due to the world's growing population.
The safest bet is to leave the gold in the ground until it can be Safely and Responsibly recovered. Such resources are never lost, just stored while
bad development destroys the lives of the people and environment!wessongroup - 1-5-2011 at 11:11 PM
Ditto's Skip....
Throw the Bums Out
CaboRon - 1-6-2011 at 07:24 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by wessongroup
Ditto's Skip....
I couldn't agree more with Skip.
What an incredable sham .... to give computers to the children whilst poisining the water supply...BTW: this water also serves Todos Santos.
It is how it works...
wessongroup - 1-7-2011 at 10:23 PM
It is the way the game is played... would hope these folks down there are very careful in their evaluation of the operations and their overall impact
to where they live...
Mining is and will continue, in Mexico, as one of the largest operators is found in Mexico “Grupo México”. Who is the parent of ASARCO LLC, currently
in chapter 11 in the States, and has left a total of 20 superfund sites around the Nation.
Which the people of the United States will be cleaning up some day ...
Just wouldn't like to see people in a stable environment at this time, not consider all factors in their decision process... as their decision will
effect them for a long while ...
[Edited on 1-8-2011 by wessongroup]ecomujeres - 1-18-2011 at 10:16 PM
Semarnat cancels Concordia project
Here's the gist of the "Tribuna de Los Cabos" article from Jan 18th available in Spanish at:
Juan Rafael Elvira Quesada, head of the Environmental Protection Agency (Semarnat) states that the Concordia mining project has been canceled on the
grounds that its operation is not viable due to its proximity to the coast, to the local watershed, and because of the rich flora and fauna that
surrounds it.
At the same time, the federal agency is looking to place the land, which is currently under jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agricultural Reform,
under sole control of Semarnat for the exclusive purpose of conservation and protection as a heritage site.
This past Sunday, over nine thousand citizens showed up at Playa El Tule in Los Cabos to protest the mining project, led by NGO’s Niparajá and El Agua
Vale más que el Oro (Water is worth more than gold).
Semarnat states that they have been trying to move control of the land to their jurisdiction since 2008. They also state that the mining company has
never been able to prove its claim of ownership of the land, mainly because it is well-known to be federal land.
******
It has a lot more to say, but that sums up the important points, and gives the "current" status of the project, which unfortunately could change with
a new government. Let's celebrate for now...:-)mulegemichael - 1-18-2011 at 10:50 PM
please, see beyond a few computers and stop the chaos.
