NewsWhore
03-19-2010, 06:30 PM
The head of the Chamber of Deputies Health Commission, Victor Terrero, complained yesterday that Barrick Gold executives had refused to give him any information about the reasons why more than 300 employees had experienced health problems on Sunday. Terrero said that the commission believed that the deputies needed to know what had happened to so many people. He said "...We have tried to make contact with the owners of Barrick Gold so that we can enter the facility to see with our own eyes, but we have yet to receive an answer".
Speaking with reporters, the deputy said that he was sorry that he had voted for the approval of the contract with Barrick.
Geologist Osiris de Leon says that Barrick Gold must be hiding something about the illness that hit 300 employees in one day, and he suggested that some pathogen such as chlorine gas could have been the culprit.
De Leon said that as proof that the cause was some outside agent is the fact that not all of the people affected ate the same foods, and the fact that the workers who reported for duty on Monday were also affected strengthens his argument that something else besides the food was the cause. He said that the symptoms were very similar to those experienced by people exposed to toxic fumes: vomiting, diarrhea and loss of energy. He added that cyanide was not the cause, since it is not being used in this phase of the installation. Finally, he said that the theory of a gas leak was reinforced by the refusal of company authorities to allow reporters into the medical facilities or into the plant itself in order to check the situation.
A spokesperson from the Public Health Ministry said that so far the investigation into the foods has not revealed any bacteria.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)
Speaking with reporters, the deputy said that he was sorry that he had voted for the approval of the contract with Barrick.
Geologist Osiris de Leon says that Barrick Gold must be hiding something about the illness that hit 300 employees in one day, and he suggested that some pathogen such as chlorine gas could have been the culprit.
De Leon said that as proof that the cause was some outside agent is the fact that not all of the people affected ate the same foods, and the fact that the workers who reported for duty on Monday were also affected strengthens his argument that something else besides the food was the cause. He said that the symptoms were very similar to those experienced by people exposed to toxic fumes: vomiting, diarrhea and loss of energy. He added that cyanide was not the cause, since it is not being used in this phase of the installation. Finally, he said that the theory of a gas leak was reinforced by the refusal of company authorities to allow reporters into the medical facilities or into the plant itself in order to check the situation.
A spokesperson from the Public Health Ministry said that so far the investigation into the foods has not revealed any bacteria.
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)