GUATEMALA: Goldcorp to dump tailing ponds waste into river system ... Action needed!
Guatemala, August 2, 2007
* ALERT *
It is widely rumoured that Goldcorp (formerly Glamis Gold) will release a manufactured lake full of “tailings” (from the cyanide chemical processing
plant) into the Cuilco river in western Guatemala.
Please take action immediately to pressure Goldcorp to suspend all mining and ANY and ALL release of the “tailings pond” ... until fully independent studies can be done on the tailings pond, with full participation by the local communities, national and international non-government organizations.
Please re-distribute this info up and down river and all around. If you want on-of this elist, info@rightsaction.org.
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COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY GOLDCORP'S MARLIN MINE IN SAN MIGUEL IXTAHUACAN DENOUNCE REPORTED COMPANY PLANS TO RELEASE TAILINGS INTO CUILCO RIVER
After almost two years into the operation of Goldcorp's Marlin gold mine in San Marcos, Guatemala, environmental, social and cultural harms are increasingly being denounced by affected communities in the municipalities of Sipacapa and San Miguel Ixtahuacan.
Independent photo-journalist James Rodriguez has just published a revealing photo-essay about the various harms experienced by the affected communities in San Miguel Ixtahuacan: Gold Mine Worsens Social Tensions, www.mimundo-jamesrodriguez.blogspot.com
The San Marcos-based Pastoral Commission Peace and Ecology (COPAE) has also published a photo-essay in Spanish covering many of the same issues:
http://www.resistencia-mineria.org/espanol/fotos/fotoreportaje-marlin-0807.pdf
A Rights Action educational delegation recently visited with several of the indigenous Mam communities directly affected by the mine in San Miguel Ixtahuacan. The group also met with local leaders working with the community-based Association for the Integral Development of San Miguel Ixtahuacan (ADISMI).
Community members and leaders alike are particularly alarmed about recent reports concerning Goldcorp subsidiary Montana Exploradora's management of the mine tailings dam. According to local residents, company employees in the region have recently been indicating that the company is planning on releasing tailings into the local river system.
According to a 2005 report commissioned by the company, the tailings dam was assessed to have the ability to store the first two years of tailings and process affected water. The Marlin mine went into production in December of 2005, meaning that those two years will be up very soon. The same report goes on to note “it is intended that the release of water from the impoundment will be regulated to match stream flow in the receiving environment (Quivichil and Rio Cuilco), such that concentrations in the receiving water is below levels of concern.”(1) It appears likely the company is planning to start releasing water from the tailings impoundment into the local river systems.
Dr. Robert Moran wrote in 2005 that “[Goldcorp] has stated that a tailings water treatment facility may be constructed if the water to be discharged from the tailings exceeds appropriate use standards—which have not been determined!” (2)
GOLDCORP – PREVIOUS VIOLATIONS
Concern regarding Goldcorp's dangerous disposal of water from the tailings pond is justified based on their track record. In 2005, Goldcorp Inc.
pleaded guilty to violating the Ontario Water Resources Act in the Ontario Court of Justice in Red Lake, for (among other charges) having discharged 110,000 cubic meters of tailings effluent to Bruce Channel of Red Lake without submitting a start up report as required in the conditions of thier Certificate of Approval. (3)
TAKE ACTION!
Official confirmation of reported company plans to release tailings into the local river systems has not been obtained. This complete lack of information is unfortunately consistent with how first Glamis Gold then Goldcorp have operated from the beginning, never properly consulting with, informing or getting proper community approval.
Community members have conveyed their alarm at the potentially devastating impacts the reported plans could have, not only in the immediate area around the Marlin mine, but also downstream along the Cuilco river, which flows through Huehuetenango and into Mexico.
Urgent letters, faxes, emails and phone calls are needed to Goldcorp President and CEO Kevin McArthur, to Canadian government officials, to the Canadian Pension Plan (a major investor in goldcorp), to highlight community concerns, to insist on a suspension of mining and any tailings pond release until fully independent studies can be done.
WRITE TO:
- Goldcorp Inc. Head Office:
Park Place
Suite 3400-666 Burrard Street
Vancouver, B.C. V6C 2X8
Telephone: (604) 696-3000
Facsimile: (604) 696-3001
info@goldcorp.com
- Canadian Standing Committee
on Foreign Affairs and International Development faae@parl.gc.ca
- Your politician and media.
- The Canadian Pension Plan (most employed Canadians are, by law, contributors to and beneficiaries of the CPP).
Please forward responses to Rights Action: info@rightsaction.org
(1) Robertson Geoconsultants Inc. (2005. March 18). Tailings Dam Review Board Report No2, Marlin Project, Guatemala. Retrieved August 1, 2007 from http://www.glamis.com/properties/guatemala/AMR/Marlin%20Tailings%20Dam%20Report.pdf
(2) Moran, Robert (2005. September 8). CAO Marlin Mine Assessment: Technical Responses. Retrieved August 1, 2007 from http://www.miningwatch.ca/updir/Marlin_CAO_Response.pdf
(3) Government of Ontario. (2005. November 1). GOLDCORP INC. FINED $225,000 FOR NON-COMPLIANCE WITH ONTARIO WATER RESOURCES ACT. Retrieved July 31, 2007 from http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/news/2005/110101.htm
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info@rightsaction.org, www.rightsaction.org