3 NV gold mines to pay $600k for pollution errors

Published: 08:39:51 PM, Wed 06 February 2013 UTC

RENO, Nev. (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered three Nevada gold mines to pay a total of $618,000 for failing to report the release of toxic chemicals, including cyanide, lead and mercury from 2005-08.

All three mines are subsidiaries of the Toronto-based Barrick Gold Corp. — Barrick Cortez Inc.'s Cortez Gold Mine near Crescent Valley, Barrick Gold US Inc.'s Ruby Hill Gold Mine near Eureka and Homestake Mining Co.'s Bald Mountain Gold Mine near the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge.

EPA officials said Wednesday they agreed to pay a total of $278,000 in fines and spend an additional $340,000 on an environmentally beneficial project.

EPA says there was no evidence to suggest the pollution reporting violations posed any immediate dangers but could pose potential health threats to workers and local communities.

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