the president of Old Town BarrickJuana Barceló, said today that the mining company is committed to adding long-term value to all stakeholders, while proactively managing impacts on the environment.
“The environmental, social, transparency and corporate governance aspects are an important part of our business, and have been incorporated into our vision of sustainability and general business strategy,” he said.
Old Town Barrick presented the platform “Pueblo Viejo: a Place of Value”, an initiative that highlights the opportunities promoted by the mining responsible with projects that ensure the care and protection of the environment, social and economic development, and the well-being of thousands of Dominicans, while remedying the enormous environmental liabilities found and working to overcome the bad perception generated by these past practices.
The details of the platform were presented to Barceló at the thematic breakfast: “Industrial Actions that Transform”, organized by the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic (AIRD).
Giving the words of welcome, Celso Juan Marranzinipresident of the AIRDexpressed support for Old Town Barrick can proclaim “with humility”. He assured that Pueblo Viejo is a place of value for miningthe communities and the country, and highlighted the importance of their exercise of mining responsable.
Barceló reaffirmed the company’s commitment to continue caring for natural resources and native species in the area, and to contribute to the generation of direct and indirect jobs, as well as the development of local communities and suppliers. The company’s mining project is in Cotuí.
“Old Town Barrick: a place of value” seeks to share with you an initiative that we have launched with the intention of differentiating the good practices of Old Town Barrick against the non-responsible actions carried out in the past, which have stigmatized the mining as an enemy of the people and of the environment”, expressed Barceló, affirming that over time misinformation has detracted from the value of the mining they do today, building on a historical legacy of other operations.
“We have been victims of unfounded accusations about alleged effects on the environment and people close to our operation, accusations that lack any scientific basis,” he said.
He highlighted various aspects that imply, in practice, a radical turn to the way in which it operated before. Among them, that the company has an environment department made up of more than 40 professionals, with a defined environmental policy in which water and biodiversity are highly valued and their care is an essential part of the business. In addition, it is accompanied by independent monitoring carried out by the Technological Institute of Santo Domingo (Intec) every three months, with community participation.
Old Town Barrick promotes community development projects, a business incubator and accelerator, local purchases that exceed RD$1,000 million and more than 600 social projects.
He stated that the area went from having two highly polluted rivers (including one without any aquatic life) to today having rivers in which flora and fauna abound; from a large deforestation, to the reforestation of more than 16 hectares.
In terms of contributions, the exports of the Barrick they represented 37.5% of exports of national goods in 2020 (a critical year) and in 2021 they exported close to US$1,500 million.
He pointed out that the total contributions to the treasury from 2013 to date exceed US$3,000 million; generates more than 2,200 direct jobs and 9,000 indirect jobs, in an inclusive labor policy, and has positively impacted the Human Development Index of the Sánchez Ramírez Province and especially the municipality of Cotuí.
