People first

In Conga, we are convinced that the social investment must be focused in a long-term vision. So, it is very important to work together with the development specialists and representatives of the populations to be close to the people, their families, custom and needs in order to recognise new alternatives to encourage the local and regional development.

With this in mind, we launched an important initiative: To set up the Alianza por el Desarrollo de Cajamarca y contra la Pobreza (The Alliance for the development of Cajamarca and reduction of Poverty). On February 11th, 2010 we subscribed with enthusiasm our Deed of Constitution. This Alliance involves habitants from 38 communities of the high Andes located in the border of the provinces of Cajamarca and Celendín. It is an inter-institutional platform composed of several collective efforts with a common goal: to seek sustainable development through innovative social, integrated and participatory projects that stir capabilities.

Thus, we can make individual and collective changes in the families of Conga, by improving their quality of life and reducing the poverty.

Who makes up the Alliance?

The heart of the Alliance is made up by 38 villages of the area of our Conga project. A number of public and private organizations and institutions specialized in sustainable development also takes part in this initiative. Such as:

• The villages of Agua Blanca, La Chorrera, Unigen lily, Unigen swarm Cruzpampa, El Tingo, Tablacucho, Faro Low, Santa Rosa de Huasmín (La Victoria), Huangashanga, Pampa Verde, El Alto No. 8 Chilac No. 8 Coñicorgue , Jerez, Shanipata, Quengorío Alto, Quengorío Bajo, El Tambo, Jadibamba Baja, alum, Namococha, Las Lagunas de Combayo, El Porvenir, Quinuapampa, El Valle, San Juan and Yerba Buena Yerba Buena Chica.
• The Regional Department of Health of Cajamarca.
• The Regional Management of Social development of Cajamarca.
• Minera Yanacocha - Conga Project.
• Los Andes de Cajamarca Association.
  
• PREDECI (Programa de Reducción de la Desnutrición Infantil).
• PRIE – IPAE – Empresarios por la Educación.
  
• Funder Perú.
• G y C.
• ADERS Perú.
• CEDEPAS Norte.
• Programa de Voluntariado de Minera Yanacocha.
• FONCREAGRO.
  

Different specialized institutions join the initiative of 38 communities from the Conga Project area in order to stop poverty and find the path to the sustainable development.

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Shilicos from Trujillo are well informed

People from Celendin who live in Trujillo city expressed their points of view about the Conga Project in the program Visión Informativa, Channel 33:

"The mining set up in Celendin is going to be an alternative of progress and improvement for our population. Investment is a sign of progress so I ask to all my fellow countrymen to support this project, because it will bring progress and opportunities to Celendin. We should stop being negative and start accepting our responsibilities to make progress".

Javier Camacho Sánchez

"The good mining based on concerted action brings positive results and provides resources to implement projects which benefit the areas of education, health and transport. We should not lose this opportunity. Those people who don´t share this view, must realize that there are places where mining and agricultural activities co-exist without predation and environmental contaminants which damage the ecology (…) By agreements and dialogues, we can solve several problems of the province, such as the 68% of infant malnutrition, illiteracy, lack of health centres. For solving these problems we need to get into an agreement with the authorities and mining companies", he explained.

Álvaro Bazán Cabellos

"This is a good opportunity. What we should do with buried richness which is useful for nobody? That is greedy! With a responsible mining we can have a great economical opportunity to build hospitals, schools and roads. For this reason, it is important that all the people from Celendin must support this project without being selfish which only causes damage to the progress. Conga officials as well as Celendin authorities, and the interested party too, must explain the project to those who don´t still believe in it".

José Bazán Silva

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Minas Conga will require a 3000 million dollars investment

Newmont’s Senior Official, Guy Lansdown said, "We are engaged with Peru and willing to make a 3 million-dollar investment to create sustainable development"

After having obtained the social license at the Public Audience of Cajamarca, with the aim to develop the project which will add half-million tons of copper to the national production, Conga Project, represented by Executive vice-president Guy Lansdown, had an important participation at the XI International Symposium of Gold.

In this event, the participation of Conga project was considered one of the most important gold-copper projects from Compañía de Minas Buenaventura and Newmont Mining Corporation. Conga operations will be managed by Yanacocha Peruvian Unit, the most important gold mining company in Latin America.

Newmont is planning to start Conga Peruvian project by the end of 2014 or at the beginning of 2015, so the decision about the advance of the project would be taken at the end of this year. Guy Lansdown said that the future project will require a strong investment of around 2,500 or 3,000 million dollars.

He also mentioned that the investment in Peru is favorable and competitive comparing with other countries of the region such as Chile, Mexico, and Brazil. "Keeping this investment environment is the key for which Peruvian economy is open, we are so pleased with the environment we have for gold investment."

Conga is an innovative mining project that wants to set up a new environmental and social management model for its influential area. The one will work on the construction of sustainable development of Cajamarca by generating direct and indirect jobs as well as social and economical contributions.

More related information:

• Diario El Comercio Perú
• Diario Gestión
• Andina Agencia de Noticias
• Sociedad Nacional de Minería, Petróleo y Energía
• Reuters Agencia de Noticias
• Yahoo Noticias

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Informative Summary

A summary from the latest news related to the Conga Project and local development.

Jorge Tirado: Mining in Celendín is the beginning of a “boom” period
Regarding to the mining subject in the province of Celendín, Jorge Tirado Merino, President of the the Celendín management support commission in Lima, emphasized "I think this is the beginning of a 'boom' period. Celendín needed an opportunity like this, and I fervently hope that my people know how to reach this goal. We, in Celendín, have the capacity to succeed. I congratulate Celendín for making its own decisions according to its rights and interests”, he added. "I hope my brothers in Celendín know how to profit from the system of water concentration to prevent the stream flows into the sea. For example, efficient trout farming, livestock genetic improvement, reforestation and other activities related to environmental issues", said Tirado.
(News published on the April 26, 2010 in the program „Caliente Noticias” broadcasted by Radio Caliente)

The Program for Reducing Chronic Malnutrition in Celendín Children is being carried out successfully
The Program for Reducing Chronic Malnutrition in Children (PREDECI - Programa de Reducción de Desnutrición Crónica) is being carried out successfully in some communities of the province of Celendín, especially in the districts of Huasmín and Sorochuco. “After two years and a half, the project results are fruitful,” commented Shenny Villoslaba Terrones, Health and Malnutrition Coordinator of the Regional Government of Cajamarca.
(News published on the April 26, 2010 in the Program „ Prensa Veraz” broadcasted by Radio Antena Uno)

Municipality of Huasmín and Conga Project work together to install a drinking water system in Huasiyuc Jadibamba
Eugenio Cruzado, President of the Administrative Board of the Drinking Water Service in the Huasiyuc Jadibamba community and the district of Huasmín, thanked the Huasmín Major and the Conga Project, for the installation of the drinking water system in that community. The work consists of 72 familiar pools, construction of two harvesting systems and two reservoirs of 10 meters3.
(News published on the April 23, 2010 in the Program “Visión Informativa” broadcasted by Imagen Televisión Channel 21)

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Video: Conga Project – Public Audience

The Public Audience of the Conga Project took place in the small village of San Nicolas of Chaihuagon in Cajamarca on March, 31 2010 where the results of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Conga project were put forward.

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Town in motion

A GREAT DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY
The Conga Project of Yanacocha organizes a public audience with great success.

The small village of San Nicolas of Chalhuagon was the scenery of a historic activity for the people from the villages of Huasmin, Sorochuco and La Encalada of the provinces of Celendin and Cajamarca on Wednesday, March 31.

The results of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Conga Project were put forward in the Public Audience held on March, 31.

From 9 am different delegations arrived on foot, by trucks and buses, some with their community authorities, others with their majors and deputy governors. The scenery was massive. A four thousand country people attended, but only 3,094 were registered and participated officially in the audience.

In that event, all the doubts and questions were answered by technicians of Yanacocha, who presented the main features of the Conga Project, and also by specialists of the consulting company in charge of the Environmental Impact Assessment.

Darío Zegarra, External Affairs Manager of the Conga Project, said: „We are very grateful with our neighbours because we have the same interest; this mining project is a great opportunity because it will generate four reservoirs which will provide more water for the agriculture activities in dry seasons”.

As it is known, a lot of critics have been surprised because they thought that Conga project steals water from the agriculture activities. This surprise lies in the construction of 4 reservoirs done by Yanacocha which will work before the mine operates and compensate fully to the affected lakes.

The representatives of the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) and the Regional Direction of Energy and Mines of Cajamarca led the audience. OMBUDSMAN and the Public Ministry officials as well as deputy governors, provincial and district majors, local authorities and the community in general attended the audience.

The Audience closed a series of workshops for Citizen Participation that began several months ago following the Regulations of the Ministry of Energy and Mines as well as other consulting and reporting activities that the Yanacocha officials developed village by village.

It is expected that Yanacocha invests again in the region which would be one of the most important gold - copper projects in Peru after they have collected the citizens’ observations and the Ministry has approved the project.

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6 good reasons

If Conga becomes a mine, it will be a great chance for development because:

1. There will be more water for the fields.
2. It will promote development programs during 20 years.
3. There will be training programs and employment.
4. It will boost the local and regional economy.
5. It will allow the state to generate incomes through the taxes.
6. It will generate mining royalties for the local development.

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5 classic prejudices

Our lack of knowledge of the current mining industry.

1. The mining industry on the head of the river basin leaves towns without water
• Every mine, by law, has to guarantee the same quantity of water which users used to have before. A mine with social responsibility will look after harvesting more water for its neighbors.

2. Mining pollutes
• The laws and regulations have changed drastically. In Peru, the state protects the environmental equilibrium. A modern mine: Instead of avoiding the environmental liability (alleviation), its technicians generate more environmental assets (reservoirs, laboratories of agriculture experimentation, new technologies for ecological monitoring, etc)

3. Mining companies avoid people participation
• It is impossible to start a mining project without the EIA’s approval by the Ministry.
Activities promoting citizen participation are essential for an EIA. Activities promoting citizen participation are essential for an EIA, so a company committed to its community visits villages, talks to popular leaders, provides information materials, among other activities.

4. EIAs are cooked from the beginning
• Once the Environmental Impact Assessment is approved, a set of standards must be fulfilled by the company in order to ensure an adequate social and environmental management. An EIA must satisfy the regulatory framework of our country.

5. Mining impoverishes people
• Poverty is a problem that Government must face up. Mining royalty generates public incomes. However, a company aware of this big challenge, invests in social programs to improve the life quality of the neighbors. Therefore, they can go beyond and promote projects fostering institutional strengthening.

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4 false claims about Conga

What you can find in the Environmental Impact Assessment.

1. If lakes disappear, farmers will run out of water
• Conga will affect 4 lakes: Three of them will be replaced by reservoirs and one will increase its storage capacity.

2. Tailings will pollute all the basins
• The deposit design of the tailings incorporates all the control measures to avoid pollution in the natural environment. On the other hand, the tailings will be thicker to minimize infiltrations

3. EIA was created without people participation
• Without the audience, around 1800 people who live in the project area, have taken part in the EIA workshops besides other activities such as; visits, meeting, conferences (Thursday dialogues), and technical expositions among others.

4. Reservoirs affect the equilibrium of the zone
• Conga Project will build dykes as reservoirs. What is a dyke? They are floodgates built over natural ravines which allow storing water during rainy seasons. So, the water is stored in the same ravine without affecting the area keeping the same conditions.

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When mines start operating, will communities have water?

When a responsible mine is set up in high places, it must respect the quantity of water spent by the involved basins. For example, before Conga Project operates, 4 reservoirs will be built to assure enough water in dry seasons. These 4 reservoirs might even have more storage capacity (double) than the current lakes. In other words, more efficient the mining is, more water there will be.

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Is it true that reservoirs affect the zone balance?

Conga Project will build dykes as reservoirs.

What is a dyke? They are floodgates built over the natural ravines, which allow storing water in rainy seasons. So, the water stored in the same ravine will allow the place to keep the same conditions. Most important of all, farmers will have water in dry seasons.

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