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Guyana cyanide spill (update)
Kathi Kitner-Salazar (KITNER@LAW.UFL.EDU)
Fri, 25 Aug 1995 09:34:23 EST
And some more...
Kathi
------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
From: pedroj@Glue.umd.edu (Pedro Jugo)
Subject: Guyana cyanide spill (update)
Date sent: 24 Aug 1995 18:28:59 -0500
To: atarraya@MIT.EDU
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>From sbrooks@vita.orgWed Aug 23 12:08:25 1995
Date: Wed, 23 Aug 95 10:36:54 EDT
From: Suzanne Brooks <sbrooks@vita.org>
To: maxwell@krebs.ucdavis.edu
Subject: Guyana Update
DHA-GENEVA 95/0386
SITUATION REPORT NO. 2 - GUYANA
CYANIDE MINE WASTE SPILL
1. THE PRESIDENT OF GUYANA, HIS EXCELLENCY CHEDDI JAGAN, HAS
DECLARED THE AREA AFFECTED BY THE RECENT GOLD MINE WASTE SPILL AN
ENVIRONMENTAL DISASTER ZONE AND THE GOVERNMENT HAS REQUESTED
INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE.
2. THE GOVERNMENT OF GUYANA ESTIMATES THAT UP TO 1.25 MILLION
CUBIC METRES OF MINING WASTE WITH A CYANIDE CONCENTRATION OF
28PPM HAS ENTERED THE OMAI AND ESSEQUIBO RIVERS. THEY ESTIMATE
THAT A FURTHER 0.75 MILLION CUBIC METRES COULD BE RELEASED.
3. THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH HAS ADVISED ALL RESIDENTS ALONG THE
ESSIQUIBO RIVER, THE MAJOR RIVER IN THE COUNTRY, NOT TO USE WATER
FROM THE RIVER TO DRINK, COOK OR GIVE TO LIVESTOCK NOR TO EAT
FISH.
4. IN A NATIONAL ADDRESS, THE PRESIDENT OF GUYANA OUTLINED STEPS
BEING TAKEN AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL INCLUDING: THE DISPATCH OF AN
INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT TEAM AND A HEALTH MINISTRY TEAM TO THE
SITE OF THE SPILL, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A REGIONAL MONITORING
TEAM IN BARTICA, THE MONITORING OF WATER AND AQUATIC LIFE IN THE
AREA BETWEEN THE OMAI MINE AND BARTICA, AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
AN INTER-AGENCY DISASTER CONTROL COMMITTEE HEADED BY THE PRIME
MINISTER SAM HINDS AND INCLUDING THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT, THE
MINISTRIES OF HEALTH, FINANCE, REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER
RELEVANT ORGANIZATIONS.
5. THE UNDP OFFICE REPORTS THAT A JOINT COMMITTEE HAS BEEN
ESTABLISHED COMPRISING THE GOVERNMENT OF GUYANA, LOCAL
ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES AND THE OMAI GOLD MINES LIMITED (OGML)
WHO OPERATE THE MINE.
6. OGML REPORTS THAT THEY HAVE ASSEMBLED A TEAM OF INTERNATIONAL
EXPERTS AT OMAI UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
OFFICER OF THE CANADIAN PARENT COMPANY OF OGML. THE COMPANY
REPORTS THAT MONITORING DOWNSTREAM OF THE SPILL IN THE ESSEQUIBO
RIVER HAS SUGGESTED A REDUCTION IN CYANIDE LEVELS BECAUSE OF THE
DILUTION FROM THE RIVER. THEY NOTE THAT, AS OF 15.20UTC AUGUST
21, REPORTS FROM SHERIMA, SEVENTY FIVE KILOMETRES DOWNSTREAM,
SHOW CYANIDE LEVELS OF 0.009 PPM. THEY FURTHER REPORT THAT AS OF
17.45UTC 21 AUGUST, TOTAL CYANIDE LEVELS WERE MEASURED AT 0.09PPM
FROM THE CONFLUENCE OF THE OMANI AND ESSEQUIBO RIVERS DOWNSTREAM
FOR EIGHT KILOMETRES. WATER SAMPLES TAKEN ARE BEING SENT
OVERSEAS FOR INDEPENDENT TESTING.
7. OGML REPORT THAT THEY STARTED A FOUR STAGE ACTION PLAN AS OF
23.00UTC AUGUST 21 TO ATTEMPT TO STOP THE FLOW WITHIN 48HOURS.
THE MEASURES INCLUDE INSTALLING PUMPS TO MOVE EFFLUENT FROM THE
DAMAGED TAILINGS POND TO A SECURE MINING PIT, BUILDING A COFFER
DAM TO ARREST THE LEAKAGE FROM THE TAILINGS DAM AND STOP THE
FLOW INTO THE RIVER SYSTEM, FILLING 'SINK HOLES' IN THE DAMAGED
DAM AND INCREASING THE SIZE AND DEPTH OF THE DITCH BEING USED TO
DIVERT WASTE FROM THE TAILINGS POND TO THE MINING PIT.
8. THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT IS IMMEDIATELY DISPATCHING TWO
EXPERTS TO THE SITE: ONE TO ADVISE THE GOVERNMENT ON HEALTH
IMPLICATIONS OF THE SPILL AND ONE TO ASSIST IN THE EVALUATION OF
DRINKING WATER QUALITY. TESTING EQUIPMENT IS ALSO BEING
PROVIDED. IN A SECOND PHASE, CANADIAN EXPERTS WILL ADVISE THE
GOVERNMENT OF GUYANA ON MEASURES TO IMPROVE SAFETY OF FUTURE
MINING OPERATIONS.
9. THE PAN AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION (PAHO) REPORTS THAT THEY
ARE IMMEDIATELY DISPATCHING AN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER TO ASSIST
IN THE RESPONSE.
10. THE UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME/DEPARTMENT OF
HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (UNEP/DHA) ENVIRONMENT UNIT ARE IN CLOSE
LIAISON WITH THE UNDP OFFICE IN GUYANA AND POTENTIAL DONOR
COUNTRIES TO ENSURE COORDINATED INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE.
= DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS +
TELEPHONE NO: +41-22-917.12.34
EMERGENCY TEL. NO. (IN CASE OF EMERGENCY ONLY): +41-22-917.20.10
DESK OFFICER: MR. GERARD LE CLAIRE DIRECT TEL: +41-22-917.11.73
PRESS TO CONTACT: MRS. MOULIN-ACEVEDO, DIRECT TEL: +41-22-
917.28.56
TELEX: 414242 DHA CH
FAX: +41-22-917.00.23
ELECTRONIC MAIL: DHAGVA AT UN.ORG
DPR 310 GUY
!~~~~~~~~!~~~~~~~~!~~~~~~~~!~~~~~~~~!~~~~~~~~!~~~~~~~~!~~~~~~~~!~~~~~~!
! J.E. Maxwell | Tel. (916) 752-3164 !
! Med. Biol. Chem. Dept. | (916) 427-9013 !
! Univ. of California - Davis | FAX (916) 752-3516 !
! Davis CA 95616 |e-mail maxwell@krebs.ucdavis.edu !
!========!========!========!========!========!========!========!======!
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