Toronto-based mining giant, Barrick Gold, spilled cyanide solution into five Argentina rivers shortly after firing an engineer who raised serious safety concerns about the mining operation responsible for the contamination.
Court documents obtained by National Observer allege that Barrick, the largest gold producer in the world, abruptly dismissed senior engineer Raman Autar in 2014 to “escape publication” of critical health, safety and environmental violations he found at the Veladero mine, one of the world's largest gold mines.
The allegations are particularly explosive as the cyanide spill — linked to a valve failure and open sluice gate — dumped more than one million litres of the solution into five rivers in Argentina's San Juan province.
Barrick would not confirm whether addressing the whistleblower’s list of concerns would have prevented the spill. Autar's lawsuit is ongoing and none of the allegations have been proven in court.
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