(May 11, 2000 -- Washington, D.C.) - Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released data regarding mining facilities gathered through the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (Act). TRI is an annual report by private companies and government facilities that covers nearly 650 chemicals and substances listed by the EPA. This is the first time metals mining companies have been included in the reporting program, which has applied to other industries since 1986.

The TRI report is a weight-based report and is not designed to evaluate risk. TRI gives the public direct access to information about the use and ultimate fate (storage, disposal or release) of the listed chemical substances at facilities covered by the program. EPA has stated that TRI information alone should not be relied upon to assess or to speculate about potential impact to health or the environment. Company facilities have submitted reports to the EPA and the state where each reporting facility is located. Reports for 1998 data were submitted to EPA in July 1999, and companies released their facility reports to the public at that time.

Individual mining facilities reported the amount of any release (above an established threshold level) of these substances to the air, to water or to the land as uniquely defined under the Act. The reports for metals mines, including gold mines, are unlike reports filed by other industries for three very important reasons:

• Typically 85 to 99 percent of what mining operations report are large quantities of naturally occurring metals that remain in unneeded rock and processed rock materials that are moved, stored, processed and managed at the mine site;
  
  
• These materials are safely contained in managed facilities at the site, e.g., rock stockpiles, heap leach pads and tailing impoundments; and
  
  
• Because these management activities are defined as "releases" and metals mines must move, store, process and manage substantial quantities of rock, the reports for gold mines show very high quantities of naturally occurring listed substances that remain in low concentrations in the material managed by the company. The mining process does not increase the level of naturally occurring listed substances in this rock managed at mine operations. The quantities reported under TRI may make some gold mines among the highest reporting facilities in the states where they operate, due solely to the reporting requirements specifically applicable to metals mining.

The U.S. gold industry supports the public's right to know the information contained in its reports. Since its passage in 1986, the public has demonstrated that it values the information provided under the Act, and gold mining companies will ensure that the public receives timely and comprehensive information regarding their reports, including information on how they safely and effectively manage the reported materials. For more information about a particular company's facility reports, please contact the company directly through company Internet sites or specific contacts identified on the TRI report forms.

"America's gold mining industry is recognized as a world leader in environmental management, reflecting the highest levels of corporate commitment and investment in environmental planning, engineering, technology and training. Our industry is committed to continuously reviewing and improving its environmental, health and safety performance," said Paul Bateman, president of the Gold Institute.

The U.S. gold industry continually strives to operate in an environmentally responsible manner - protecting wildlife, reclaiming land and exploring new technologies to make operations safer. Its voluntary actions coupled with government requirements ensure environmentally responsible practices, which are the highest in the global mining industry. Gold is an important commodity for the United States. The United States is the second largest miner of gold in the world, producing nearly 12 million ounces of gold in 1998, or 14 percent of the world's total gold output. Today, the U.S. can meet all of its domestic gold needs while making over 20 percent of U.S. production available for export to our trading partners. Nearly 40 percent of U.S. produced gold is used domestically for electronics or other industrial uses.

Gold plays a key role in a wide range of rapidly developing technologies that are important to the nation's economic health. Gold's unmatched combination of physical and chemical properties makes this metal invaluable to today's society. Literally thousands of common everyday appliances, including computers and telephones, require gold to ensure perfect performance over a long period of time. Modern medicine relies on gold in a wide variety of procedures ranging from the monitoring of heart functions to the chemistry related to diagnosis and treatment of cancer, viral and bacterial diseases and allergies. And gold is completely recyclable.

The Gold Institute's member companies represent all sectors of the gold industry including miners, refiners, manufacturers of gold products and the world's leading bullion banks and gold dealers.

For Further Information Contact:

Mike DiRienzo
The Gold Institute
1112 16th Street, N.W., Suite 240
Washington, D.C. 20036
Tel: (202) 835-0185
Fax: (202) 835-0155
E-mail: info@goldinstitute.org