major tailings dam disasters in the philippines - alyansa tigil mina (atm) - april 2011
TRANSCRIPT
Major tailingsMajor tailings damdam
disasters in the
Phili iPhilippines
TVI PACIFIC INCApril 6 and July 11 2007April 6 and July 11, 2007 Siocon, Zambonga del Norte
Heavy rains washed out the clay soil and destructed the concrete wall of the sulphide dam used for the extraction of copper and zinccopper and zinc.
IMPACTS:
Contaminated water whereContaminated water, where cyanide and mercury is detectable, flows to the Canatuan River down to Siocon River and towards the sea. Two days after the collapse, it has been reported that siltation has reached upthat siltation has reached up to 3meters thick.
LAFAYETTE POLYMETALLIC PROJECT (LAFAYETTE MINING LTD)October 11 and 31 2005October 11 and 31, 2005Rapu‐rapu Island, AlbayIt rained heavily. Water elevation at the lower tailings storage facility was almost full due to continuous rainfallalmost full due to continuous rainfall.
IMPACTS:In the morning of November 1, 2005, fishes and other marine organisms gwere found dead at Ungay and Hollowstone Creeks As per DENR investigation report:
1 The effluent Lafayette to meet DENR1. The effluent Lafayette to meet DENR Effluent Standards per DENR Administrative Order 90‐35 for parameter cyanide; and
2 S li d t d 4 d 52. Samplings conducted on 4 and 5 Nov. at Hollowstone Creek, Ungay Creek and Binosawan River failed to conform to conform to DENR Administrative Order 90‐35 for parameter cyanideparameter cyanide.
DIZON COPPER SILVER MINES INC. (DCSMI) August 27 and September 11, 2002
Heavily‐rusted mine facilities at the Benguet Corporation‐Dizon Copper/Gold Mines (BCD) in San
2002 San Marcelino, Zambales
The Spillway of Bayarong tailings dam collapsed during
Marcelino, Zambales.[Photo courtesy of Tetra Tech EM Inc.]
tailings dam collapsed during heavy rain;
IMPACTS:
Low lying villages were flooded with mine waste;
250 families evacuated;
Some tailings spilled
into Mapanuepe Lake
and eventually into the
Sto. Tomas River;
dams heavily damaged
(especially Camalca)
Communities residing In Dizon mine road.
SIPALAY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL DISASTERS In November 8, 1982 under MARICALUM MINING CORP, a tailings pond causing the Wid d i d i fWidespread inundation ofagricultural land up to 1.5m High and the siltation ofthe Tao‐angan River
Again in December 8, 1995Under PHILEX MINING CORP,Destruction of tailings pond C d th ilt ti f
MARICALUM MINING CORP. December 2001
Caused the siltation of Sipalay River.
Since the ‘temporary’ stoppage of operations no fresh tailings have been discharged, causing tailings pond 3 to dry up and become prone to wind actions
IMPACTSIMPACTS:
Excessive levels of dust affect area of 5 km; air quality affected; nearby residents report increases in respiratory illnesses
ATLAS CONSOLIDATED MINING AND DEVELOPMENT CORP.DEVELOPMENT CORP. (ACMDC) August 9, 1999 Toledo City, Cebu
Outlet in drainage tunnel of the open pit (from closed copper mine) was clogged
released approximately 5.7 million m3 of acidic water into Sapangdaku and into the open sea
copper mine) was clogged resulting in loosening of accumulated silt, causing discharge into the Sapangdaku River towards the sea
IMPACTSIMPACTS:
Siltation of Sapangdaku River;
Increase in acidity of affected water bodies causing fish killwater bodies causing fish kill
PLACER, SURIGAO DEL NORTE DISASTERS
All under MANILA MINING CORP. (MMC)
• July 9, 1987: Dam failure causing fish kills
• September 2, 1995: Dam foundation failure at tailings pond 5 of the Placer copper‐gold project killing 5 people and coastal pollution
• April 26, 1999: Tailings spill from damaged concrete pipe in tailings pond caused 40 homes to be buried and 40 hectares of land affected including 20 hectares of agricultural land
DISASTERS IN SIBUTAD, ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTEUNDER PHILEX GOLDUNDER PHILEX GOLD PHILIPPINES INC. (PHILEXMINING CORP.)
Two incidents of heavy rainTwo incidents of heavy rain resulted in mudflow and rockslide into silt dam at Lalab (November 6, 1997) causing fl hfl d d d bflashfloods damaged nearby houses and rice fields and the overflowing of silt dam at the Sibutad gold project (in June g p j (27, 1998) causing fish kill and blindness.
According to the Save The Abra River M t th ilt ti d t i ll ti fMovement, the siltation and toxic pollution of the rivers deprives communities in Cervantes of about 7.33 million kg of rice worth US$2.27 million per annum.
BENGUET DISASTERS
p
October 17, 1986, Mankayan, Benguet (Lepanto Consolidated Mining Corporation):October 17, 1986, Mankayan, Benguet (Lepanto Consolidated Mining Corporation): Collapse of tailings pond 3 due to weakened dam embankment caused by additional loading caused the siltation of the Abra River which affected 9 municipalities
January 1992, Padcal, Tuba, Benguet (Philex Mining Corp.): Collapse of dam wall at tailings pond 2 due to weakened foundation caused by the 1990 Northern Luzon earthquake effected the heavy siltation affected downstream government irrigation system
BENGUET DISASTERS
BENGUET DISASTERS
June 26 1993 Mankayan Benguet (Itogon Suyoc Mines Inc): Overtopping at the dam
DISASTERS
June 26, 1993, Mankayan, Benguet (Itogon‐Suyoc Mines Inc): Overtopping at the dam of the Itogon‐Suyoc gold and silver mines occurred during a typhoon when the dam’s penstock and diversion tunnel were blocked caused the siltation of adjoining river
MARINDUQUE TRAGEDIES
THE WORST MINING DISASTER: MARINDUQUE EXPERIENCE
FillFille
MARINDUQUE EXPERIENCE
FillFille
December 6, 1993, Marinduque IslandMARCOPPER MINING CORP
The Maguila‐Guila siltation dam collapsed due to pressure from heavy siltation at the dam wall and caused the Mogpog Ri b fl d d 2 hild kill dRiver to be flooded; 2 children killed; livestock killed; agricultural land contaminated; downstream communities and Mogpog Town floodedand Mogpog Town flooded.
March 24, 1996, Marinduque IslandMARCOPPER MINING CORP
According to the company the rock around a cement plugrock around a cement plug inserted into the former Tapian open Pit drainage tunnel to convert it into atunnel to convert it into a tailings containment was fractured and the plug failed. H th t l t t dHowever, the tunnel started leaking in August 1995. In September 1995
/ lMarcopper/Placer Dome started drilling down 160 meters to the tunnel. On 24 March 1996 the drill hit the tunnel, released an air pocket holding back tailings and
Left: Children and women in Mogpog were found to be with Left: Children and women in Mogpog were found to be with symptoms of arsenic poisoning. Below: After the amputation symptoms of arsenic poisoning. Below: After the amputation of his right leg, the left leg of a fisher folk in Calancan Bay, is of his right leg, the left leg of a fisher folk in Calancan Bay, is g g, g y,g g, g y,also contaminated with arsenic contamination 30 years after also contaminated with arsenic contamination 30 years after mine wastes were dumped in their bay. mine wastes were dumped in their bay.
© MACECIMPACTS TO PEOPLE’S HEALTH AND LIVELIHOOD AND ECONOMY
Fish kills; death of Boac and Mogpog River
•Evacuation of 1200residents •26 km of the Makulaquit andBoac river systems filledwith tailings renderingthem unusable $80 illi i d•$80 million in damage(the real figure ismuch higher 3) •Flash floods isolated 5•Flash floods isolated 5Villages•67,000 m3 of bagged tailings collected and gstacked in tattered sacks on banks of Boac Riversince cleanup began in
© MACECIMPACTS TO PEOPLE’S HEALTH AND LIVELIHOOD AND ECONOMY
summer 2000
THE WORST MINING DISASTER: MARINDUQUE EXPERIENCEMARINDUQUE EXPERIENCE
FillFilleBags of mine waste tailings decomposing in Bags of mine waste tailings decomposing in
FillFillethe Boac River in March 2004 (Oxfam)the Boac River in March 2004 (Oxfam)
WHAT MINERS CANNOT SOLVE:
Acid mine drainage or acid rock drainage, is the acidic water that drains out of above-ground or under-ground coal and metal mines. It may form
Acid Mine Drainageg y
inside the mine or several kilometers downstream.
It can occur during mining operations and even when operations has finished and the site is when operations has finished and the site is abandoned.
It affects stream and river ecosystems by increasing acidity depleting oxygen and releasing heavy acidity, depleting oxygen, and releasing heavy metals, such as aluminum, iron, manganese, and zinc.
“The miner rapes theThe miner rapes the heart of earth With his
violent spade.”‐Kath Walke, IP Poet
© Alyansa Tigil Mina
THANK YOU.
Photos and data were taken from the f llfollowing sources:
• ATM File Photos• Oxfam Ombudsman Report on Marinduque• Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC)• Philippine Indigenous Peoples Links (Piplinks)• Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns (MACEC)(MACEC)
• Alex Felipe Photos• www saverapurapu blogspot com• www.saverapurapu.blogspot.com• www.panoramio.com• wwwmustardseedblog comwww.mustardseedblog.com