Colombia’s Attorney General on
Tuesday recommended that the government deny permission for
what would be the country’s biggest gold project, saying that
the mine would be located in an environmentally sensitive
area.
AngloGold Ashanti of South Africa has found what
it says is one of the world’s 10 biggest gold reserves in the
central province of Tolima.
The mine near the town of Cajamarca, with 13 million ounces
of estimated reserves, could be ready to start producing
between 2012 or 2014 if the government gives the go-ahead.
But Attorney General Edgardo Maya, who monitors the legality
of government actions, sent a letter to the country’s
environmental ministry recommending that it deny permission due
to the fact that the deposit is located in a forest reserve.