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University described the villages around the Porgera gold mine
in Papua New Guinea as poverty-stricken, over-crowded and
unsafe. Many communities experience water shortages and
poor sanitation with limited waste management options. The
problems are exacerbated by a continual influx of people from
surrounding areas seeking economic opportunity (Fisher 2016).
The waste issues faced by the camps that proliferate around
large scale industrial mining operations are also apparent in the
communities associated with small scale and informal mining
in remote mountains areas. Artisanal mining is often the only
available source of livelihood for communities in gold or gem
rich mountain areas. Former farmers turn to mining and flock to
shanty towns that spring up following the rush to wealth and
in these towns waste management is a low priority. The gold
mining camps that have been established high in the Andes
near the border between Peru and Bolivia are an example. In
2015 Peruvian police went to Ananea and destroyed 18 of these
camps and the heavy machinery used by the thousands of
miners living there. This was reportedly undertaken to protect
the catchment of Lake Titicaca, the largest freshwater body in
South America, from mercury and other waste originating from
the mines (A/P 2015). Earlier this year Peruvian police ventured
into the mountains further north and destroyed 15 mining
camps in the Huascarán National Park (a UNESCO recognized
biosphere reserve). These miners were excavating for zinc and
lead (Mann 2016).
Mining above the clouds: Waste generated
from the extraction and processing of the ore
Mining activities have the potential to produce large amounts
of hazardous material. Mining wastes consist of solid, liquid and
gaseous waste. The solid waste includes mine tailings which,
along with overburden, are generally the most voluminous
waste produced at mine sites. They are also the most likely
source of serious environmental damage.
The composition of the tailings depends on the nature of the
host rock, the material being mined and the processing method.
Following extraction, the ore is processed to concentrate the
minerals. Processing may include, crushing, washing (which can
require large amounts of water) and chemical treatment. The
waste from processing, referred to as tailings, consists of ground
rock, uneconomic metals and water that contains unrecovered
processing reagents and chemicals. Tailings are generally
dischargedas a slurry and retainedon site indams, impoundments
and banks. In some instances, they are still intentionally disposed
of into valleys and waterways (a practice generally restricted to
developing countries; see Ok tedi case study).
Volume of tailings
and waste
released
*
No data available on waste released volume
10 000 000 m³ 1 000 000 m³ 100 000 m³
Main accidents
Iron
Copper
Silver
Bauxite
Mercury
Coal / Coal ash
and the
mine ore type
Source: Center for Science in Public Participation,
http://csp2.org/Miraí
(Brazil)
10.01.2007
Germano
(Brazil)
05.11.2015
Cerro Negro
(Chile)
03.10.2003
Huancavelica
(Peru)
25.06.2010
Mount Polley
(Canada)
04.08.2014
Pinchi Lake
(Canada)
30.11.2004
Herculano
*
(Brazil)
10.09.2014
Obed Mountain
(Canada)
31.10.2013
Buenavista del Cobre
(Mexico)
07.08.2014
Kingston fossil plant
(USA)
22.12.2008
Inez
(USA)
11.10.2000
Sebastião das Águas Claras
*
(Brazil)
22.06.2001
TAILING STORAGE FACILITY
FAILURES IN MOUNTAINS REGIONS
THE AMERICAS, 2000-2015