Re: Guyana cyanide spill - Update_? (fwd)

Kathi Kitner-Salazar (KITNER@LAW.UFL.EDU)
Tue, 5 Sep 1995 10:47:10 EST

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SORRY THIS POSTING IS A BIT LATE .
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>From sbrooks@vita.orgTue Aug 29 21:52:50 1995
Date: Mon, 28 Aug 95 10:02:25 EDT
From: Suzanne Brooks <sbrooks@vita.org>
To: maxwell@krebs.ucdavis.edu
Subject: Guyana 3


Good Morning!! This is the latest.

>From dha-sitreps@hoshi.cic.sfu.ca Fri Aug 25 11:51 EDT 1995
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Subject: DHA-GENEVA SITREP VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL
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DHA-GENEVA 95/0389



DHA-GENEVA SITUATION REPORT NO 3
GUYANA CYANIDE MINE WASTE SPILL

1. THE COMPANY WHICH OWNS THE MINE SUBJECT TO THE RECENT CYANIDE
WASTE SPILL HAS ANNOUNCED THAT THE SPILL WAS STOPPED AT 05.00UTC
ON AUGUST 24. THE COMPANY ESTIMATES THAT A TOTAL OF 3.2 MILLION
CUBIC METRES OF TAILINGS WATER WAS RELEASED FROM THE TAILINGS
RESERVOIR OVER THE SPILL PERIOD OF 100 HOURS.

2. AT A COORDINATION MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HELD
IN GEORGETOWN BY THE DHA/UNDP RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE, THE
PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR MR NAVIN CHANDARPAL REPORTED THAT THE
CONTAMINATION HAD PASSED THE TOWN OF BARTICA TOWARDS THE SEA.
FRESH WATER CONTINUES TO BE PROVIDED TO COMMUNITIES ALONG THE
ESSEQUIBO RIVER FROM THE MINE TO BARTICA.

3. THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE PARLIAMENT OF GUYANA AGREED A
MOTION ON 24 AUGUST THAT PLACES FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SPILL
ONTO THE OWNERS OF THE MINE AND RESOLVED THAT THE COSTS 'TO
RECTIFY THE SITUATION' WILL BE MET BY OMAI GOLD MINES LIMITED
(OGML). THE MOTION ALSO RESOLVES THAT A COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY
WILL BE ESTABLISHED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSES OF THE DISASTER AND
'MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON PREVENTIVE MEASURES AND MODIFICATIONS TO
BE UNDERTAKEN BY OGML TO MINIMISE THE EXPOSURE TO THE ENVIRONMENT
IF UNEXPECTED, UNFORESEEN EVENTS OCCUR.' THE PARLIAMENT NOTED
THAT GOLD MINING OPERATIONS AT OGML WILL ONLY RE-COMMENCE ON A
RESOLUTION BY THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.

4. OMAI GOLD MINES LIMITED (OGML) REPORT THAT TOTAL CYANIDE
READINGS IN THE ESSEQUIBO RIVER TAKEN ON AUGUST 23 AND 24 SUGGEST
A RAPID REDUCTION IN CYANIDE PRESENCE IN THE WATER.

5. A TEAM OF EXPERTS RETAINED BY THE COMPANY HAVE REPORTED THAT
THE CYANIDE CONCENTRATION IN THE TAILINGS WATER WAS 25 TO 30 PPM
WITH A FREE CYANIDE CONCENTRATION OF 5-6PPM. THE COMPANY REPORTS
THAT CONTINUOUS MONITORING IN THE ESSEQUIBO RIVER BETWEEN 20
AUGUST AND 24 AUGUST INDICATED LEVELS OF CYANIDE WITHIN THE
DRINKING WATER STANDARDS OF CANADA (0.20PPM) AND THE USA
(0.15PPM).

6. THE COMPANY REPORTS THAT, IN THEIR ESTIMATION, AND ASSUMING
COMPLETE MIXING, THE CONTAMINATED TAILINGS WATER WOULD HAVE BEEN
DILUTED BY THE ESSEQUIBO RIVER (AVERAGE AUGUST FLOW RATE OF 14.4
MILLION CUBIC METRES PER HOUR) BY A FACTOR OF 150-200 TO 1 BY THE
TIME THE DISCHARGE REACHED BARTICA. THE COMPANY NOTES THAT
COMPLETE MIXING DID NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL THE POLLUTION REACHED
ROCKSTONE, 90KM DOWNSTREAM FROM THE MINE. THEIR MONITORING SHOWS
THAT CYANIDE CONCENTRATIONS REACHED A MAXIMUM OF 0.22 PPM
IMMEDIATELY DOWNSTREAM OF THE OMAI RIVER. THEY SAY THAT AS THE
SPILL PROCEEDED DOWNSTREAM THE CONCENTRATION OF CYANIDE DECREASED
BY AS MUCH AS TWO ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE.

7. THE DHA/UNDP RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE REPORTS THAT THE
GOVERNMENT OF VENEZUELA ARE SENDING 3 EXPERTS IN DAM SAFETY
AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TO ASSIST THE GOVERNMENT OF GUYANA.

+ 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: UNIENET DIALCOM 141: DHAGVA


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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