Argonaut Gold To Invest US$9 Million in Mine Closure Plan
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Argonaut Gold To Invest US$9 Million in Mine Closure Plan

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Fernando Mares By Fernando Mares | Journalist & Industry Analyst - Wed, 08/31/2022 - 13:54

Canada-based mining company Argonaut gold is planning to close the first mine it operated in Mexico. The company wants to change the way mining companies close their operations by putting surrounding communities at the center of the closing strategy.

After 14 years of operation, the company began preparing works for the closure of the El Castillo mine, located 100km north of Durango City in the municipality of San Juan del Rio. The company’s closure plan requires over US$9 million, which will be used for environmental restoration and regular follow-up visits for over two years.

According to the company, it is common that during the operation of a mining project, the approach of any company toward surrounding communities tends to be focused on welfare. After the end of a mine’s useful life, communities are abandoned. This leads to the creation of ghost towns since mining is the most important income source for such communities. Therefore, the company aims to put communities at the center of its closure plan. “We want to change the paradigm. We want to put communities at the center of the strategy. Communities are not adjacent, lateral or complementary, they must be at the heart of the entire process,” said Alfredo Phillips, Vice President of Corporate and ESG Matters, Argonaut Gold. 

The company stated that the closure plan bears in mind the obligation accepted in the mine’s Environmental Impact Assessment (MIA). In this document, the company highlights the criteria and proceedings to physically and chemically stabilize the soil of the operations area. These proceedings include laying another soil layer over the lixiviation area to recover the ground’s characteristics before extraction had been started. The company will also carry out reforestation campaigns using native species of flora, as well as works focused on the mitigation and control of runoffs to prevent erosion.

The company committed to constantly reviewing the area for at least two years after the restoration is complete. During this period, the company will continue to address the community’s needs. In addition, Argonaut Gold plans to replicate the plan at other mines once they end their useful life, adapting to the project’s social and environmental particularities.

The El Castillo project comprises seven concessions that total over 2,045ha. It currently employs over 400 people. El Castillo is the first Mexican asset of Argonaut Gold and commenced construction in 2007. The company currently operates the San Agustin mine in Durango and La Colorada in Sonora as well.
 

Photo by:   Projeto Cafe Gato Mourisco

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