Employee numbers up for second straight month

For the second consecutive month there was increase in the number of full time employees at the Barrick Golden Sunlight Mine.

At the Community Transition Advisory Committee meeting last week, General Manager Dan Banghart reported there were two new full time employees at the mine. He said the number of full times employees at the mine is now 50. The number had been 44 in May. There is one regional Barrick employee, and 84 contract employees currently at the site.

After a huge month of production with 6,451 ounces in May, the numbers at the mine were down in June. Banghart said the June number of 1,500 ounces was below target.

On the third party ore front, Banghart said over 6,000 tons were brought to the mine in June from four different suppliers.

Environmental Superintendent Chuck Buus told committee members the mine had received a “deficiency” letter in response to their permit application for the proposed APEX project at the site. Buus said they were pleased that there was nothing substantial they would need to work on, just more clarification and questions about water issues.

Buus said after the mine responds to the letter, the DEQ will have one year to evaluate potential environmental impacts. If approved, Buus said they could start with the project in the third quarter of 2018.