London
8 °C
Manchester
Glasgow
Dublin
5 °C
Belfast
5 °C
Washington
Denver
Atlanta
10 °C
Dallas
Houston Texas
12 °C
New Orleans
El Paso
Phoenix
Los Angeles
10 °C
-16 °C
24 °C
31 °C
23 °C
Honduras clarifies stand on open-pit mines
NYSE - LSE
Honduras clarifies stand on open-pit mines
Honduras on Friday clarified that existing open-pit mining contracts remain in effect, after President Xiomara Castro said she was banning the practice.
Castro on March 1 announced the ban in the Central American nation declaring the mining style harmful to the environment and to people.
The move was met with joy by rights defenders and environmentalists but brought uncertainty to the industry.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Lucky Medina told AFP Friday that large mining companies that use surface mining will be allowed to continue their activities in Honduras under "strict surveillance" until their permits expire.
That includes gold mines operated by multinational Aura Minerals in San Andres in the west of the country and iron oxide mines in Tocoa in the northeast.
O.Hartmann--BlnAP
