Warned by a Costa Rican health official that it lacks a permit to proceed to the next phase of its project, a local subsidiary of Canada’s Glencairn Gold Corp. says its plans to build the Bellavista mine here nevertheless remain on track, with gold extraction likely to start as early as January. The subsidiary, Metales Pesados, received the warning April 30 in an order issued by Hannah Diermissen, regional director for the Costa Rican Health Ministry. Diermissen notified the company it cannot begin second-phase work—construction of the mine’s infrastructure—before obtaining a ministry permit certifying the project does not pose undue health risks to surrounding communities. Health authorities last December rejected the first request for such a permit by Metales Pesados, one of... [Log in to read more]