Peru fears environmental mining disaster

[struggle4progress]

LIMA (AFP) — Peru scrambled Saturday to prevent potential environmental disaster, after a dump for a major ore mining operation showed signs of a rupture that could lead to contamination of the local water supply.

The Lima government on Friday declared a state of emergency after the dump, located at Coricancha mine and owned and operated by Gold Hawk Resources Inc., showed signs of ground displacement and fragility.

The government warned that by-products from the mining of thousands of tons of lead, zinc, arsenic and other metals and minerals could escape into and pollute the Rimac River, this city's main source of water.

Around one third of Peruvians live in and around Lima, a coastal city with a population of between six and seven million people ...

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5imrMAlTPJ1aI2sOvXZyll25uREjQ


Peru Orders Canada's Gold Hawk to Relocate Some Mine Operations

By Alex Emery

July 18 (Bloomberg) -- Canadian miner Gold Hawk Resources Inc. said Peru's government ordered the company to relocate some facilities at its gold and silver mine in the central Andes because of imminent risk of landslides.

The Peruvian Cabinet chief's office declared a state of emergency at the Tamboraque Hill area, where the Coricancha mine has tailings facilities, Vancouver-based Gold Hawk said today in a statement distributed by Marketwire. The 1,690-hectare (4,174- acre) concession produced 17,800 ounces of gold and 608,000 ounces of silver last year, according to the company's Web site.

``We believe this Decree will expedite the required authorizations to implement measures that will minimize the risks to people, the environment and property,'' Gold Hawk Chief Executive Officer Kevin Drover said in the statement.

Gold Hawk started up the mine last year, Peru's fourth new gold mine in three years, a period in which gold prices have doubled. Barrick Gold Corp., Gold Fields Ltd., and Minera IRL Ltd., have also built gold mines since 2005 in Peru, the world's fifth-largest gold producer.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=a7una9dspncE&refer=canada

[Judi Lynn]

1. Pity the wellbeing of the citizens wasn't important enough for them to take necessary precautions.

But hey, who the heck cares? They don't have to live with their mess, do they? Tough luck for the Peruvians who only have one home, isn't it?

http://www.goldhawkresources.com.nyud.net:8090/en/gallery/coricancha/mine/Mine_mina007.jpg

Gold Hawk Mine

http://www.goldhawkresources.com.nyud.net:8090/en/gallery/coricancha/nature/Nature_min_dining_room.jpg

Gold Hawk dining room

Gold Hawk website, Coricancha, Peru
http://www.goldhawkresources.com/en/properties/index.php

[Judi Lynn]

2. FT: Peru hit by mine pollution emergency

Peru hit by mine pollution emergency
By Naomi Mapstone in Lima

Published: July 20 2008 19:49 | Last updated: July 20 2008 19:49

Peru has declared a state of emergency at a mine near Lima over fears that arsenic, lead and cadmium from its tailings dam could pollute the main water supply for the capital.

Gold Hawk Resources, of Canada, confirmed the government has asked it to stop operations and relocate its processing plant and tailings dam from the Coricanca mine in the Tamboraque hillside region, which has been weakened by seismic activity and subterranean water filtration.

Kevin Drover, president and CEO of Gold Hawk, said in a statement the government’s emergency decree would “expedite the required authorisations to implement measures that will minimise the risks to people, the environment and property.”

The company informed authorities of the problems with the tailings dam in May and had already stopped operations. Last week it completed a $3.3m private placement to invest in Coricancha, including the relocation of its tailings dam.

More:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/29d366a4-568b-11dd-8686-000077b07658.html

[Judi Lynn]

3. Update 7-27-08: Peru declares state of emergency at Canadian mine site

Peru declares state of emergency at Canadian mine site
Last Updated: Wednesday, July 23, 2008 | 10:07 PM ET

The Peruvian government has declared a state of emergency at the site of a mine owned by a Vancouver company, saying its toxic chemicals are putting the capital's water supply at risk.

A 60-day state of emergency was put in place in the San Mateo district, 90 kilometres east of Lima, where Gold Hawk Resources runs the Coricancha metals mine.

Government officials said the mine's storage dump is unstable and at risk of collapse, which could release arsenic and other toxic chemicals into the Rimac River, Lima's main water source.

Gold Hawk, which acquired the mine more than two years ago, issued a statement Friday saying Peruvian officials have asked the company to relocate its processing plant and dump area away from the Tamboraque hillside.

CEO Kevin Drover told CBC News the company knows the area is unstable and has already taken action.

"There has been no leakage whatsoever; there has been no impact to the environment. The only impacts have been to our company because we brought ourselves to our knees," Drover said.

Crushing and milling operations at the mine were suspended in May because of ground displacement around the dumping area, which the company attributed to overwatering by local farmers.

Both company and government experts say farmers overwatering their crops have made the hillsides around the mine soggy, cracking its cement foundation and increasing the risk of landslides.

Oxfam representative critical of mining practices
Farmers say, however, that there has been a local decree in place for the past three months that forbids them to irrigate, according to a representative of Oxfam America in Peru.

"So they lost crops in order to not add more to the overall risk of the mine while the mine continued to add to the tailing dump," Fran Boern told CBC News.

There is a legacy of toxic waste dumping by gold mining companies in the region, which has led to numerous human rights complaints.

More:
http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2008/07/23/peru-mine.html?ref=rss

Isn't this so, so predictable? The mining company owners and pResident Alan Garcia BOTH claim "The farmers done it."





Maybe Alan Garcia will improvise a new national dance
to help commemorate this outrageous mining catastrophe.