Numerous trees have already been felled in preparation for the new gold mining project, the concession for which was granted to the Industrias Infinito Company, a subsidiary of the Canada-based Infinito Gold. Both the President of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias, and the Minister of Environment and Energy, Roberto Dobles, have endorsed this project, granting a permit for 191 hectares of forest to be cut in Las Crucitas, in the northern province of Alajuela. Of the trees that have been cut, many of them were the Almendro tree (Dipteryx panamensis), a tree that provides vital habitat to the endangered Great Green Macaw.
This open-pit gold mine is considered worldwide to be the most environmentally destructive type of mine, and it would be the largest in Central America. Mines of this caliber use heavy chemicals such as cyanide to separate the gold from the ore, endangering the quality of the nearby San Juan River and subsoil water reservoirs. The needed deforestation for the project also undermines the protection recently granted to the Almendro by Costa Rican law, which prohibits the cutting and exploitation of the Almendro for any reason, due to its importance to the macaw.
On Oct. 20, the Supreme Court's constitutional chamber ordered a halt to the logging in response to an appeal for protection against the executive decree filed by citizen Edgardo Araya and the local association Norte por la Vida (North for Life). Both President Arias and Minister Dobles assert that the project is one of national interest. In doing so, President Arias is making a gross contradiction to his Peace with Nature campaign that he rolled out just last year. The Peace with Nature campaign was billed as an effort to make Costa Rica a world leader in conservation.
Dobles has stated that he thinks the socio-economic benefits of the mine are greater than the environmental costs. He also states that the destruction of almost 200 trees by the mining company does not threaten the population of the Great Green Macaw, because the trees were young, and the macaw favors older growth trees. Industrias Infinito claims they will reforest with native species, but even if this happens, it will take 50 to 60 years for these trees to provide any sort of habitat for the Greet Green Macaw. This short-term thinking of the government concerns many.
By and large, Costa Ricans are in an uproar over this rationale and what they feel to be a breach of duty by their country’s highest officers. Already there have been protests in the streets of San Jose, demonstrators carrying placards calling for the resignation of Oscar Arias for destroying the country’s forest and their institution. Most recently, on November 16th, a protest was held in the northern city of Boca Tapada-San Carlos near the location of the gold mine. Hundreds of Costa Ricans and a delegation of Nicaraguans united and marched to the rhythm of local school bands, calling for an end to the destruction.
Estimates over how much gold the mine will yield vary, but it is thought that the amount of this precious metal in the sub-soil is very little. More than 6 tons of soil has to be extracted in order to obtain only one gram of gold, and in order to separate it, they add almost 4.5 kg of cyanide that can end up in the groundwater. This environmental destruction is an extremely high cost to pay for a country that does not even depend on, nor will ever depend on the mining industry. Rather, much of Costa Rica’s growth has come from tourism, due to its rich biodiversity. Tourism is the largest contributor to the country’s Gross National Product. This project only serves to threaten that industry, the environment, and the health of the people that live in that watershed. The Costa Rican government should be looking to develop sustainable eco-tourism projects in this region to boost its economy and aid the local communities. Doing so will benefit the communities infinitely, not by endorsing projects by Industrias “infinito.”
Please use this letter as a sample to send the CEO of Infinito Gold, John Morgan, a letter expressing your concern for the risk their gold-mining project poses to the biodiversity of Costa Rica as well as Nicaragua, including the irrevocable damage it will do to the dwindling population of the Great Green Macaw. Personalized, signed letters sent via the normal mail system have the most impact, but you may opt to send an email as well to info@infinitogold.com.
