Baja Achieves Key Milestone in Development of Manganese Metal Production at Boleo

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, Jun 16 (MARKET WIRE) --
Baja Mining Corp. (TSX: BAJ) today announces that a key milestone has
been achieved towards manganese metal production at its Boleo project in
Baja, Mexico.

Staff at the University of British Columbia's Hydrometallurgy Research
Laboratory have successfully demonstrated that manganese metal can be
manufactured from Boleo manganese carbonate using conventional
hydrometallurgical processing steps. A sample of manganese carbonate
produced during the 2006 demonstration pilot plant at SGS Lakefield was
used as feedstock for the tests which were done under the supervision of
Dr. Thomas Gluck, Baja's Manager Process Technology and Dr. David
Dreisinger, Baja's Vice President-Metallurgy, a Qualified Person under NI
43-101. All technical results have been verified by Dr. Dreisinger.

The key features of the Boleo manganese metal process are:

- Boleo manganese carbonate is leached to greater than 99% efficiency in
the manganese leach solution (electrolyte from the manganese plating
cell).

- Minor impurities present in solution are removed using sulfide
precipitation and clarification.

- The purified solution is electrolyzed in a conventional manganese
electrowinning cell. A smooth grey deposit of manganese metal was plated
over a six hour period at a current efficiency of 65%. This represents
typical commercial performance.

- The manganese metal is plated without the addition of selenium-a
condition that ensures a higher quality product.

"Being able to produce manganese metal without adding selenium will
differentiate Boleo manganese metal from the majority of the product
available in the market," says Dr. Gluck. "This is something our Korean
partners are particularly interested in."

Says Baja President and CEO John Greenslade: "Today's result provides
added confidence in our ability to produce manganese metal at Boleo once
the copper, cobalt and zinc circuits are up and running and could add
significantly to the economics of the project."

Boleo is the world's sixth largest manganese deposit. Current Boleo
mining and processing plans would allow for the production of up to
100,000 tonnes (220 million pounds) of manganese metal per year.
Manganese metal is used in alloying applications in the steel, aluminum
and non ferrous alloy industries. Annual production of manganese metal is
estimated to be over 800,000 tonnes worldwide. The spot price for
electrolytic manganese metal containing selenium (manufactured in China)
is currently $1.00 per pound and the Boleo product would sell at a
premium to this price.

Further work on plating of Boleo manganese is ongoing at UBC and with
other development partners toward the goal of producing a fully
integrated flow sheet for converting Boleo manganese carbonate to
manganese metal in the most efficient way possible. This ongoing work is
being conducted as part of a Manganese Action Plan that is overseen by
the Minera y Metalurgica del Boleo (MMB) Manganese Action Committee and
includes the evaluation of alternate uses for Boleo manganese carbonate.
MMB is the Mexican subsidiary of Baja and a Korean Consortium, and 100%
owner of the Boleo project. The Manganese Action Committee is made up of
nominated representatives from Baja and the Korean Consortium. A next key
milestone in the Manganese Action Plan is the completion of a
pre-feasibility study for manganese metal production.

Baja is a Vancouver-based publicly traded company (TSX: BAJ) with a 70%
interest in the Boleo copper-cobalt-zinc-manganese project located near
Santa Rosalia, Baja California Sur, Mexico. A Korean syndicate holds the
remaining 30%. Baja is the project operator. The target date for
commissioning Boleo is 2012. A 2007 definitive feasibility study
projected an average annual production for the first four years of 56,000
tonnes of copper cathode, 1,500 tonnes of cobalt cathode and 20,000
tonnes of zinc sulphate. The project has proven and probable reserves
that support a mine life of more than 25 years. Anticipated cash costs in
the first five years are US$0.27 per pound of copper, net of by-product
credits for cobalt and zinc, and with no credit for manganese.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF BAJA MINING CORP.

JOHN W. GREENSLADE, PRESIDENT

Some of the statements contained in this release are forward-looking
statements, such as statements that describe the Company's expected
timing of mobilization of construction activities, expected completion of
a manganese feasibility study, expected timing of or completion of
further manganese milestones, expected timing of delivery of long lead
items, expected timing of project commissioning and other statements.
Since forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact
and address future events, conditions and expectations, forward-looking
statements by their nature inherently involve unknown risks,
uncertainties, assumptions and other factors well beyond the Company's
ability to control or predict. Actual results and developments may differ
materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements.
Material factors that could cause actual revenues to differ materially
from those contained in such forwarding-looking statements include (i)
fluctuations on the prices of copper, cobalt, zinc and manganese, (ii)
interpretation of contract terms, (iii) accuracy of the Company's and
consultants' projections, (iv) the Company's ability to finance, receive
permits for, obtain equipment, construct and develop the El Boleo
Project, (v) the effects of weather; operating hazards; adverse
geological conditions and global warming, (vi) impact of availability of
labor, materials and equipment; and (vii) changes in governmental laws,
regulations, economic conditions or shifts in political attitudes or
stability.

These forward-looking statements represent the Company's views as of the
date of this release. There can be no assurance that forward-looking
statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events
could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
Readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking
statements.

Contacts:
Baja Mining Corp.
John Greenslade
President
(604) 685-2323
(604) 629-5228 (FAX)
www.bajamining.com

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