U.S. Gold Mining Company to Strip Mine the Espolon Valley in Region X of Southern Chile

Geocom y Kinross Gold Corp., started quietly investigating the Gold mining possibilities in the Espolon valley just outside the town of Futaleufu in the Northern part of the Patagonia several years ago. The project was shelved for several years, and recently the company has again brought the the project to active status. They are also currently investigating other mining opportunities around the Patagonia including copper mines. Every indication is that this project will seriously go forward as the Gold and other minerals are relatively accessible, but at the cost of the environment of the Futaleufu and Espolon river valleys.

Espolon lake, Espolon river, and the Futaleufu river at risk

The Espolon Valley is located upriver in the tributaries to the Espolon Lake and the river Espolon that flow in to the Futaluefu river. The location of the proposed mining operation is on the watershed directly upstream from the town of Futaleufu approximately fifteen kilometers, in one of the most environmentally sensitive points in the Patagonia. Ultimately the Espolon valley watershed flows all the way to the Pacific Ocean, passing numerous other communities along the way.

Sustainable Development vs. Environmental Destruction

This watershed is also key to the tourism industry, that has been heavily invested in by such organizations as the inter-American bank, the Chilean government, Douglas Tompkins, and others as a means of sustainable development and to protect the environment of the region. The Espolon lake and river is the spawning grounds for trout and salmon, a key source of tourism revenue. The Futaleufu river is World famous as one of the top white water rivers in the World. Simply the basic disturbances inherent in strip mining operations, let alone the contamination from toxic chemicals used in Gold mining operations, will insure the total destruction of the ecosystem, economy, and will have a serious environmental impact perhaps as far as the Chilean coast of the Pacific ocean where the fishing industry would be devastated.

More than 350 Square miles of the Chilean Patagonia at risk

The mining company is buying mineral rights to approximately 91,000 hectares in the area. Mineral surveyors that have worked in the area for the company have indicated that it may be one of the riches deposits of gold ever discovered in Chile, and perhaps South America. There is also reports of deposits of Copper in the same area of the Espolon Valley.

Argentina has already rejected similar projects just across the boarder from Chile's southern region X, where the Futaleufu river flows across the boarder and the Espolon river enters the Futaleufu river just about 20 km from the proposed mine.

Environmental Opposition Mobilizing to stop the Gold mine.

Environmental groups in Argentina and Chile are forming alliances to help fight the planed project by Geocom y Kinross Gold Corp, and any subsidiaries of Geocom y Kinross Gold Corp.

Among the Environmental and other grassroots organizations working to fight the Gold mine are such local groups as Aguas Libres and the tourism association of Futaleufu.

It is common for such international mining operations as Geocom y Kinross Gold Corp. to build layers of legal and political cover through shell corporations and subcontractors to avert any responsibility or liability for the environmental, health, and economic damage caused by such gold mining operations. This is especially easy for mining companies to do in developing countries in South America and Latin America, as bad press rarely reaches home in English. In Chile Geocom operates under Minera Geocom Resources-Chile Limitada.

The latest news we have from our contacts in the region near to the situation indicate that the mining company has held private meetings with the mayors of the four most effected towns. We are still trying to get information in regards to what these meetings are about, and will have ongoing updates regarding Gold and other mining operations in Southern Chile.

So, beyond the long-term issues of Global Warming in South America, there are many more localized environmental assaults under way that we need your help to stop. We very strongly believe it will be the environment in southern Chile that is the economic future for Chile. The Gold and other minerals will simply be exported, along with the money to another country or at least Santiago and stands to only leave behind the environmental destruction for the local people.

What can you do? Our goal at this point is to let the World know and to give no cover for Geocom y Kinross Gold Corp and other mining companies to hide from the responsibility for this project by shining the brightest public relations light on the project as possible. We want to make this environmental attack very public as a warning to any other companies that may mistakenly view Chile as a place where environmental exploitation can be hidden away in remote locations and is allowed to occur with impunity.

We wish to start an email campaign to let the president, and any other government official know that this is being watched both by Chileans and by the international community. There will be no middle of the night mining operations opening in the Patagonia.

Chile Environmental Action Letter Instructions:

Please copy the letter below in both English and Spanish to your own email account, and send it to at least one of the following addresses. Please only send one email to each address individually to avoid triggering spam guards on email servers around the World. We want to insure that your email, and others emails on the subject get through and in great numbers. It is the collective response that will gain the attention. You can also fax or snail mail the letter using the addresses and fax numbers on our environmental action mailing list.

Please use the name of the company in the Subject line, Geocom y Kinross Gold Corp, region X.

Please also forward it to any environmental group or individuals you believe might be interested in helping. Please follow this link to our Chile Environmental Action Mailing List with contact information of government officials including links the web forms online you can use and email addresses.

Also join us in our Chile forum to discuss this and other environmental issues regarding Chile .

<START OF LETTER>

To: All Chilean government officials

Re: Geocom y Kinross Gold Corp., Patagonia project

Greetings,

Sincerly,

Name of Concerned International Citizen

Para: Todos los Ministerios, Direcciones y Departamentos del Gobierno de Chile a quien corresponda.

Ref: Projecto Geocom y Kinross Gold Corp. en la Patagonia Chilena

De nuestra consideración:

Hemos tomado conocimiento que la empresa extranjera Geocom y Kinross Gold Corp. y sus filiales chilenas están proyectando la explotación de yacimientos mineros en el Valle del Espolón, en la Patagonia Chilena. Con el mayor énfasis posible, les solicitamos consideren no aprobar o endorsar esos proyectos en forma alguna. Esta iniciativa tiene el potencial de devastar el medioambiente, la economía, y las comunidades de la Patagonia; y muy especialmente las industrias regionales de turismo y salmoneras. De ponerse en marcha afectará sin lugar a dudas la cuenca y valles de los ríos Futaleufú y Espolón de una manera irreversible. Les rogamos no autoricen estos proyectos y protejan el futuro de Chile.

Sinceramente,

(your name)

  Distribución:

Michelle Bachelet, Presidenta de Chile

Belisario Velasco Baraona, Ministro del Interior

Felipe Harboe Bascuñan, Subsecretario del Interior

Claudia Serrano Madrid, Subsecretaria de Desarrollo Regional
Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, Presidente del Senado

Senador Carlos Ignacio Kushel Silva

Senador Camilo Escalona Medina

Senador Andrés Allamand Zavala

Senador Antonio Horvath Kiss

Senador Adolfo Zaldivar Larraín

Jaime Bertín Valenzuela, Intendente Región de los Lagos

León Roa Soto, Consejero Regional Provincia de Palena

Marcelo Hernán Vera Hvalibota, Consejero Regional Provincia de Palena

Juan Aguila Cárcamo, Gobernador Provincial de Palena

Comisión Nacional del Medioambiente, CONAMA

Nelson Bustos Arancibia, Comisión Nacional del Medioambiente, CONAMA X Región

Héctor Contreras U., Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería, SERNAGEOMIN

Javiera Ulloa Aguilera, Servicio Nacional de Turismo

Washington Cardenas Almonacid, Servicio de Cooperación Técnica, SERCOTEC

Luis Alberto Moreno Rubio, Director Regional Aguas, Los Lagos

Jorge Eduardo Cid Manríquez, Director Regional, Instituto de Desarrollo Agropecuario

Alcalde Comuna de Cochamó

Concejales Comuna de Cochamó

Alcalde Comuna de Chaitén

Concejales Comuna de Chaitén

Alcalde Comuna de Hualaihué

Concejales Comuna de Huelahiué

Alcalde Comuna de Futaleufú

Concejales Comuna de Futaleufú

Alcalde Comuna de Palena

Concejales Comuna de Palena

<END OF LETTER>