Barrick’s Responsible Use of Cyanide

The principles and objectives of the International Cyanide Management Code reflect Barrick’s commitment to safe cyanide management. We adopt a comprehensive and responsible cyanide management approach that includes:

• Comprehensive training of employees, as well as ongoing refresher training
• Requirements that cyanide manufacturers and transporters be Code compliant
• Ongoing monitoring and reporting to government regulators
• Independent auditing
• Accident prevention planning
• Effective emergency response systems
• Communicating with communities and other stakeholders
• Planned decomissioning of cyanide facilities at mine closure

Due to rigorous safety procedures, there has not been a single fatality associated with cyanide at Barrick’s operations. In fact, cyanide intoxication incidents are extremely rare.

Code Certification of Barrick Mines

Formal certification of our mines sites under the Code is a company-wide priority and we continue to make progress. Leadership in environmentally responsible mining practices is an important part of our vision. As such, Barrick was a leading participant in the development and implementation of the Cyanide Management Code.

In 2005, Barrick became an official signatory to the Code. Less than a year later, in 2006, Barrick’s Cowal mine in Australia became the first project in the world to achieve Code certification.

In 2007, Barrick’s flagship mine Goldstrike achieved certification under the Code. It was followed by the Pierina mine in Peru. To date, 20 Barrick operations have been certified under the Code.

Click here to learn more about the certification of Barrick's operations under the Code.

Independent Auditing and Verification

Under the Code, auditing of Barrick’s operations does not end once an operation has been certified and deemed compliant. Audits must be conducted every three years by an independent third-party auditor, based on ICMI requirements.

Worker Safety

“Every employee going home safe and healthy everyday.”

Nothing is more important to Barrick than the safety, health and well-being of our workers and their families. Reducing the risk to workers is a company-wide priority. All workers (employees and contractors) receive training in the safety, environmental and community aspects unique to their particular site, as well as Barrick’s international standards of operation. Part of this training covers hazard recognition and the safe handling and management of cyanide.

Special equipment is used to monitor cyanide levels at each mine where cyanide is used in the gold process to protect worker health and safety.

Daily inspections are conducted of all cyanide delivery, storage and processing areas to ensure safe operation. Regular preventative maintenance is undertaken to ensure that all plant equipment is in good working order.

Training

Every person who works at any Barrick operation receives the necessary training to carry out their job in a safe and responsible manner.

Persons who work directly with cyanide undergo more intensive training that includes identifying exposure scenarios, emergency response and first aid training. Experienced employees work with them prior to being permitted to operate by themselves.

Regular refresher training is conducted for all workers. This includes training in how to respond to worker exposure to cyanide and cyanide spills.

Open Dialogue with the Community

A Barrick employee addresses members of the Cahuide community about responsible cyanide use at Barrick's operations in Peru.

At Barrick, we believe that public education about cyanide and open dialogue are important tools in creating greater understanding.

We engage in a dialogue with local communities to communicate the practices we use in cyanide management and invite community members to raise any questions or concerns they may have. As part of Code certification process requirements, our mine sites are identifying opportunities to reach out to the public and interested stakeholders through site visits, presentations and other communications tools and activities. Community members are welcome to contact each operation for information related to cyanide use.

Members of the public have the right to accurate reporting and information about cyanide management. Progress toward full compliance to the Cyanide Code at Barrick’s operations is also documented through our annual Responsibility Report.

Manufacture

Barrick is working with its cyanide manufacturers to ensure they are in compliance with the Code. Through its contractual agreements, Barrick requires cyanide suppliers to demonstrate compliance with the Code through third party audits.

Transportation

Extensive planning and safety protocols are undertaken to transport the cyanide briquettes.

The transportation of cyanide from the manufacturer to the mine site may include ocean transport, rail or truck delivery. Ocean transport is used for solid form only (dry briquettes), whereas rail or truck transport is used for both solid and liquid form.

The dry briquettes used by Barrick are solid, small and uniform in size, averaging about 18 g (about 2/3 oz) in weight. They are resistant to breakage and dusting, easy to scoop up, and readily soluble in water.

Extensive transportation planning and safety protocols are in place to ensure the safe transport of cyanide and protection of communities and the environment. Clear lines of responsibility for safety, security, spill prevention, training and emergency response are written into agreements with producers, distributors and transporters.

These agreements encompass such matters as:

• Packaging is required by the United Nations for international shipment and by the political jurisdiction the shipment will pass through, with appropriate labeling
• Evaluation and selection of routes, including community involvement
• Storage and security prior to shipment and at ports of entry
• Transport to and unloading at the operation
• Training and maintenance of means of transportation
• Emergency response capability throughout transport

Barrick and its cyanide suppliers work with transporters to ensure compliance with the Code. Through contractual agreements, Barrick requires transporters to demonstrate compliance with the Code through third party audits.

Handling and Storage

Barrick operations that use liquid cyanide employ the following controls:

• Delivery by specially designed trucks or containers
• Storage tanks and delivery areas at the mine site are within specially designed containment areas designed to hold 110% of the contents of the tanks in the event of spillage or tank failure
• Overfill protection is in place
• Monitoring equipment is used to monitor gas levels
• Gas detection alarms are employed to warn of rising gas levels.

Barrick operations that use solid cyanide employ the following controls:

• Delivery by trucks and trailers with containers that have been inspected prior to shipment
• Storage in buildings or areas that are designed to exclude contact with rain or water and that provide adequate ventilation to minimize gas build up and that restrict access to authorized personnel only.

At some Barrick operations cyanide is transported in specially designed sparge tanks in solid form. When the solid cyanide arrives at site, water is added to the sparge tank to dissolve the cyanide. The liquid cyanide solution is then pumped into the mine site’s storage tanks. The same controls exist for transfer and storage as for liquid cyanide, including impervious spill containment areas, overfill alarms and gas detection units.

Emergency Response

All Barrick operations have emergency response programs and plans in place. These programs define emergency procedures if someone is exposed to or is overcome with cyanide fumes or if there is a spill. Operations have emergency response teams who train on a regular basis to respond to a variety of emergency situations, including those involving cyanide. Where Barrick operations are located close to communities, training exercises are often conducted with the local emergency agencies from these communities.

Cyanide and Gold Ore Processes

The following three processes involve using cyanide to liberate the gold from the ore:

1. Carbon in Pulp (CIP) is a method of recovering gold from cyanide solution by absorbing the gold to granules of activated carbon.

2. Carbon in Leach (CIL) is a method of gold recovery in which activated carbon particles circulate in leach solution where they adsorb the gold.

Carbon in Pulp (CIP) and Carbon in Leach (CIL) gold extraction processes both involve the leaching of gold ore in large extraction tanks. The tanks are within a contained area designed to capture any spills or leaks, which, if they occur, are pumped back to the process tanks. The tanks also have overfill alarms. Gold and cyanide molecules form a very strong bond in solution. These cyanide-gold compounds adhere to the carbon in the tanks. Once this process is complete, the carbon is removed from the tanks and washed to separate the gold and cyanide into a concentrated gold bearing solution.

Barrick employees lay the groundwork for the leaching process at the Pierina mine in Peru.

3. Heap Leach – Gold ore processing with cyanide can also be performed on lined pads – a process called heap leach. Gold-bearing ore is placed on a liner (typically high density polyethylene ‘HDPE’) and a cyanide solution is allowed to leach through the ‘heap’ and extract the gold. Beneath the liners are leak detection and collection systems to alert personnel to any leaks and to capture cyanide solution and direct it to a central collection area. The cyanide solution containing the gold is collected in lined drains and directed to centralized, lined ponds. The ponds also have leak detection and collection systems.

Gold Refining – Gold from the concentrated gold bearing solution, from both the heap leach and CIP/CIL processes, is removed by either electrowinning or by using a zinc precipitation process. The resulting gold sludge is then placed into a furnace where liquid gold/silver is formed and poured into ingots. All solutions, following gold extraction, are recycled back into the process system.

Disposal of Gold-depleted Ore - In the heap leach process the gold-depleted ore is left on the pad and more gold bearing ore is placed on top of it. The filtration and leaching processes are then repeated.

In the CIP/CIL processes, the gold depleted ore slurry - or tailings - is pumped to a tailings storage facility. These facilities are designed taking into consideration local seismic conditions, climate and groundwater regimes. Controls are implemented to protect ground and surface water. As the crushed ore settles out in the tailings impoundment, the residual liquid solution is recycled back to the process system.

Decommissioning: Mine Closure and Cyanide

All Barrick operations have closure plans in place for the ultimate, safe decommissioning of its facilities. These plans address how the decommissioning of all cyanide-related infrastructure will occur to ensure safe handling of equipment that has come into contact with cyanide.