Barrick Gold Corp

Barrick Gold has been the subject of multiple, well-documented environmental incidents across its global mining operations, involving toxic spills and widespread contamination. At its Veladero mine in Argentina, the company reported four separate toxic spills into the Río Jáchal between 2015 and 2022, impacting water sources for downstream communities. In Papua New Guinea, the Porgera joint venture mine has, since 1990, caused documented impacts on surface water from the uncontained disposal of waste rock and tailings. A 1996 incident at the company's Marcopper mine in the Philippines resulted in a massive toxic waste spill that rendered the Boac River biologically dead.

Legal actions and community complaints detail a pattern of systemic pollution. A lawsuit filed against Barrick alleges the company has systematically polluted groundwater, air, soil, and glaciers while causing biodiversity loss around its mines. The company has also faced legal challenges in Tanzania related to environmental and human rights impacts. At the Pascua Lama project on the Chile-Argentina border, operations led to environmental damage including glacial destruction, which ultimately contributed to the project's suspension by regulatory authorities.