Proposed site of Pacific Rim’s El Dorado mine.In a truly David and Goliath battle, the people of El Salvador are fighting against a Canadian mining giant that was lawfully denied permits for a gold and silver mine that would devastate the local environment and threaten the health and livelihoods of native residents. Next week, the World Bank will decide if the mining giant can pursue its greedy demands for payment under an industry-friendly trade rule that would force El Salvador to pay a huge penalty for blocking the project.
Vancouver-based Pacific Rim Mining Corp. has been exploring for gold and silver in the El Dorado region of El Salvador since 2002. That year, corporate gold diggers hit the jackpot when Dayton Mining discovered a gold and silver deposit at El Dorado, which lies 40 miles east of El Salvador’s capital city San Salvador. Pacific Rim immediately merged with Dayton Mining and forged ahead with further exploration drilling.
But the people of El Salvador soon rose up against this destructive project when word spread about its potential impact on local communities: water contamination from cyanide and other toxic mining chemicals, heavy i... Read more
