SSRMining – Anagold – Maximum penalty for CYANIDE (poison) pool

by admin June 26, 2022

The company was fined 16.4 million lira ($1 million) after cyanide pipes exploded at Kapakler’s gold mine in Ilic, Erzincan. Defenders of life are fighting for the closure of the so-called “Chernobyl of Turkey” mine.
LIFE
26.06.2022 07:49

SSRMining – Anagold – Maximum Penalty for Poisoning Pool

INFORMATION CENTER

The Kapakler gold mine, which has been in operation for 12 years in İliç district in Erzincan, the second largest gold mine in the country, threatens life and the environment. The cyanide pool, which is the size of 200 football fields, is to be expanded three times. The cyanide line at the gold mine operated by Anagold Madencilik, a partnership between Canada and Çalık Holding, exploded. At the same time, it was claimed that 20 tons of cyanide poured into the Euphrates from the mine located on the active seismic fault. The Ministry of Environment, Town Planning and Climate Change, which visited the area after the pipe burst, announced that the company had been fined 16 million 441 thousand TL ( $1 million) and that a criminal complaint had been filed.

https://www.birgun.net/haber/zehir-sacan-havuza-en-ust-sinirdan-ceza-393270

Thus, the timely CED report did NOT measure the HAZARDS required when performing the risk analysis. I think whoever made this CED file should be punished.

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Our publications
https://turkey-zero-pollution.com/ssr-madenciligi-anagold-turkiye/

April 23, 2022

https://turkey-zero-pollution.com/ssrmining-anagold-erzincan-raport-su/
April 18, 2022
MORE growth, the latest CED report will not be accepted

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THE ILIC ACCIDENT IS NOT THE FIRST AND WILL NOT BE THE LAST.

In the polymetallic (gold) mine operated by a private company in the province of Erzincan, district of İliç, locality of the village of Kapakler, on the night of Tuesday, 21.06.2022, about 20 m3 of cyanide solution spilled into the environment due to the rupture of the pipeline carrying cyanide-containing solution. In the statement made by the governorate, it was specified that the contaminated soil was neutralized and transported using hypochlorite.
In the statement issued by the governor’s office 4 days after the incident, it is stated that “it was determined that no streams were mixed and did not reach the basin of the Euphrates by observation”. What needs to be asked here is why the Erzincan governor’s office waited 4 days to make a statement and what they did during that time.
Despite all the work done by our chamber, unfortunately the necessary technical information could not be reached. For this reason, our studies were carried out on the basis of information obtained in connection with statements made by the press and the public.
Upon examination of the report, it is understood that the leak was observed at 2:45 a.m. and the flow of the solution was stopped with the intervention carried out around 5:00 a.m. In this case, the solution can be considered to be absorbed by the soil for at least 3 hours. For this reason, the effects of the cyanide solution on the environment and groundwater should be determined immediately and the necessary precautions should be taken immediately.
Despite the lack of technical knowledge that can be acquired, the damage that these dangerous chemicals can cause to the environment not only in the areas where they are stored but also in the lines on which they are transported must be taken into account and the Necessary precautions must be taken in advance against possible leaks and discharges. It’s a separate question whether the company, which has been asking for a capacity increase in recent months, will increase its capacity with this sensitivity.
On the other hand, information indicates that an administrative fine was imposed on the company concerned after the case was reported in the press. Of course, the administrative fine is a deterrent mechanism, but the main thing is to create companies with the high standards required by science and technology and to effectively regulate all kinds of activities. However, it is not possible to speak of the existence of public control, even less of its effectiveness.
It is not possible to speak of a control mechanism for reasons such as fan protection policies, insufficient organizational structure, lack of managerial staff, unqualified appointments and nepotism. The oppressive anti-democratic environment also prevents civil, rent-based control in all aspects of life; substandard nature and anti-human practices continue to increase.
We regret to express it; Ilic’s accident is not the first and will not be the last. When one examines the statements and studies made by our House on such events, it is clear that what happened is far from the public interest, rather than taking as its basis the resources, the nature, the people and people, as long as the current bad economic policies that protect supporters will continue until the mechanisms of state control are restored to the required structure and functioning. Until social control mechanisms are implemented on top of mechanisms, such accidents will continue to occur.
We wish all our co-workers, especially company employees and local people, a speedy recovery and hope that such accidents will end.
Cheers;
TMMOB Chamber of Mining Engineers
Board of Directors