Richard Fifer

by Jenny Caballero, Panama

At the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama, the specialist from Dupont, Jean Jacques Covos, presented in detail to a large number of journalists, ANAM and MICI specialists, as well as the country’s most important mining companies during a specialized workshop on the safe handling and use of cyanide in the industry. He explained that Panama has many resources, capacity and human resources to become a successful mining country. However, there are internal and external pressures from certain environmental groups that oppose, often without sufficient knowledge of the processes that take place in this type of processes and projects.

Covos, Chilean expert with over 30 years of experience in the mining industry was in the country teaching a workshop on “Mining and safe use of sodium cyanide for leaching,” event that was organized by the Mining Chamber of Panama. He explained that these people (environmentalists) are “fanatical of a pure environmentalism that could even be environmental terrorism.”

During his speech the expert said that although Panama is new to metal mining pure mining did occur through activities such as cement production and work to expand the Panama Canal.

“Opening the mountain to build the third set of locks is pure mining, but it isn’t until now that Panama found it has resources in the subsoil, a wealth that belongs to all Panamanians,” said Covos.

For his part, Carlos Salazar, of Petaquilla Gold, S.A., led by Richard Fifer-Carles, explained that in the Molejón mining project cyanide leaching is performed in closed tanks with all safety measures, involving occupational safety and health and environmental management for the wellbeing of workers and surrounding communities because, to be a miner, you have to respect the environment.

The responsible technician from Petaquilla Gold explained that there had been heavy rains, and even the tail of hurricane Thomas affected the Donoso region, leaving many victims, while the project continued its production without being affected because of the engineering designs and the perfect functioning of the tailings basins. He also explained how the company provided support to the victims, with donations of all types of building materials, aqueducts, food, water, supplies and tools.

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