El Sauzal First Mine in World to be Decommissioned in Accordance With International Cyanide Management Code

Jan 7, 2016 2:45 PM ET

Above Ground

On December 23, 2015, Goldcorp announced it has successfully decommissioned the El Sauzal mine in Mexico in accordance with the International Cyanide Management Code (“ICMC”) and it will be withdrawn from the ICMC.

The El Sauzal mine was the first mine in Mexico to be initially certified in full compliance with the ICMC in March 2008, and was recertified in July 2011 and December 2014. It is now the first mine in the world to be decommissioned in accordance with the ICMC. The decommissioning activities implemented at the mine have successfully mitigated previous cyanide facilities such that the ICMC is no longer applicable.

"Goldcorp was the first gold-mining company in the world to have each of its wholly-owned mines certified under the ICMC, so it is appropriate that we have become the first to successfully decommission a gold mine under the auspices of the ICMC," said Chuck Jeannes, Goldcorp President and Chief Executive Officer. "This represents an important step forward in Goldcorp’s commitment to safe, responsible operations throughout the entire life cycle of our projects."

The ICMC is a voluntary industry program for companies involved in the production of gold using cyanide. It was developed under the United Nations Environment Programme with the goal of safeguarding human health and the environment by promoting responsible management of cyanide used in gold mining.