BARU GOLD'S ROLE IN ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING HIGHLIGHTED ON SANGIHE ISLAND
Baru Gold Corp. has acknowledged a recently published report by a local university on Sangihe Island, which documents the environmental impact caused by unregulated and illegal mining activities. Importantly, the study relies on baseline environmental data collected by the company, as a benchmark for measuring changes in water, soil and ecosystem health on the island.
The company undertook comprehensive premining environmental sampling as part of the process to obtain its legally required environmental permit (AMDAL). These baseline measurements establish valid records of conditions before mining begins. The reason for establishing baseline conditions is simple: Indonesian law requires that once mining is concluded, the company must restore the environment to the baseline state in which it was found.
The authors of the report were able to use the company's baseline measurements to confirm recent sampling showed significant increases in heavy metals such as arsenic, lead and mercury in water and sediment in the area of illegal mining activities. The vast majority of this damage occurred in 2023, when illegal miners were active and operating outside of regulatory oversight and without any environmental considerations. The report also highlights extensive damage done by illegal miners to mangroves and coral reefs, elevated heavy metal contamination, and potential health risks for local communities.
The availability of Baru's baseline data has been critical to understanding the extent of damage by unregulated activity on the island. By making its environmental data available, the company demonstrates its commitment to transparency, science-based monitoring and long-term stewardship of Sangihe's natural resources.
Terrence Filbert, chief executive officer of Baru Gold, commented: "Our company has heard directly from organizations and individuals across Sangihe who are appealing for the resumption of our operations to combat high unemployment and low wages while protecting their environment. Locals have firmly rejected unregulated and illegal mining, now recognizing that such activities provide no economic benefits and leave behind only destruction. Residents understand the difference between destructive, unregulated operations, and Baru Gold's permitted, monitored and accountable approach. This growing awareness has strengthened local support for Baru's project as the only pathway to achieve both economic opportunity and environmental protection on the island."
Baru Gold will be sharing the information in report with the relevant departments within Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. The company believes that rapid advancement to formal, regulated production is the only way to permanently end environmentally destructive illegal mining on the island and replacing them with sustainable, well-managed operations that create shared prosperity.
About Sangihe gold project
The Sangihe gold project is located on the Indonesian island of Sangihe, off the northern coast of Sulawesi with a gold-bearing area of approximately 25,000 hectares. Sangihe has an existing National Instrument 43-101 report suitable for mining planning and production schedules for an area within the 65-hectare area targeted for initial production. See the company's "Independent Technical Report on the Updated Mineral Resource Estimates of the Binebase and Bawone Deposits, Sangihe Project, North Sulawesi, Indonesia" (Mining Associates Pty. Ltd., Feb. 1, 2025). Only 10 per cent of the gold-bearing area has been explored.
The company's 70-per-cent interest in the Sangihe-mineral-tenement contract of work (CoW) is held through PT Tambang Mas Sangihe (TMS). The remaining 30-per-cent interest in TMS is held by other Indonesian corporations. The term of the Sangihe CoW agreement is 30 years upon commencement of the production phase of the project. Baru has met all the requirements of the Indonesian government and has been granted its environmental permit.
About Baru Gold Corp.
Baru Gold is a dynamic junior gold developer with NI 43-101 gold resources in Indonesia, one of the top 10 gold-producing countries in the world. Based in Indonesia and North America, Baru's team boasts extensive experience in starting and operating small-scale gold assets.