Foreign Ministers

Also, Barrick estimated that at least 2.5 indirect jobs for each job will be created Permanent during construction and operation, to what the company stresses that must be adding many other economic benefits product, especially for productive promotion idea materialize the project emerged several years ago and in 2001 the Chilean authorities approved the study of environmental impact (EIA), which showed the company Barrick, but the initiative was postponed until 2004When the idea of developing it was resumed. The Treaty of integration and complementation Minera signed in 1997 by the Presidents of Argentina and Chile, and the specific additional protocol signed in August 2004 by the Foreign Ministers of both countries that addresses practical aspects for the future operation of this cross-border slaughter contributed elements so that it can carry out Pascua Lama. The new environmental impact study (EIA was approved in Chile in mid-February 2006, according to resolution N 039; while the report of impact assessment (IIA) in Argentina was approved on December 5, 2006.) In May 2009 the company Barrick announced the start of the project, with the approval of both Governments and the communities that were directly involved in the project approval processes it should be noted, U.S. mineral will be extracted from the mine at a rate of 15 million tonnes per year and was sent to a primary Crusher located in Chilean territory, to reduce its size. Then you will be transported through a belt until the facilities of the process that will be located in Argentine territory, transferring the border through a tunnel of 2.7 kilometres in length the requirement of water for the Pascua-Lama project will be 370 l/s in total. This demand will be supplied from the river of the coots, in Argentina. There will be a land access from each side of the border. In Chile the access will be made from the city of Vallenar, through the road that links this city with the town of Alto del Carmen, followed by a secondary road that runs along the Valley of the Rio del Carmen.