ENVIRONMENT-MEXICO/CONTAMINATION Environmental activists accuse Mexican mine of failing to clean up area damaged by Sonora River toxic acid leak

Record ID: 145204

  • Title: ENVIRONMENT-MEXICO/CONTAMINATION Environmental activists accuse Mexican mine of failing to clean up area damaged by Sonora River toxic acid leak
  • Date: 5th August 2015
  • Summary: CANANEA, SONORA, MEXICO (FILE) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WORKING TO CLEAN UP POLLUTION EARTHMOVER AT SITE MORE OF PEOPLE WORKING TO CLEAN UP POLLUTION
  • Embargoed: 20th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Mexico
  • Country: Mexico
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA7V4SPFWY2EK05PKYZ04XQELSX
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: On the 12 month anniversary of a toxic spill in the Sonora River, Mexican environmental activists accuse mining giant Grupo Mexico of failing to clean up the spill which threatened thousands of residents with contaminated water.
    The toxic leak released 40,000 cubic metres of mining acid into the Bacanuchi River in the northern state of Sonora last year, leading critics to call for massive fines against the company and even an end to its Buenavista concession.
    But mining giant Grupo Mexico avoided such action after it agreed to comply with government obligations to create a $151 million fund to clean up the river.
    Speaking to media, Julieta Lambert from the Poder NGO said the government and the mining group have both failed in clean up efforts.
    "From what we can confirm, 12 months after the incident the federal government in regards to Buenavista copper mine have ignored remediation in the Sonora River caused by the spill. The government have not paid attention and Grupo Mexico has been constantly lying to the public, that the problem is resolved and that the river is clean," she said.
    According to Profepa, Mexico's environmental body, heavy rainfall at the Buenavista copper mine in the town of Cananea caused an overflow of acidic water from the mine into the Sonora River.
    An estimated 22,000 people in nearby towns faced the threat of contaminated water from the spill, and farmers said they lost revenue.
    Lawyer for local victims of the toxic river, Luis Miguel Cano, blamed company oversight for the spill.
    "From the information obtained, what we have seen is that this is not an isolated case, it was not an isolated case, it was not caused by nature. It was something that happened in the context of permissibility, a lack of supervision, a lack of participation and it should never have happened," he said.
    Sonora resident, Soila Lopez, said the toxic spill affected her health and her family.
    "My health situation was affected a little more. I started to have a lot of sensitivity in my hands, I felt as if my skin was burnt, I lost mobility, such a great pain that I could not get up out of bed. You can't imagine how difficult it was for me as a mother to know that I have small children, I couldn't get up to cook for them, to change them," said Lopez.
    The Buenavista mine is one of the world's largest with reportedly enough copper to remain in production for at least 70 years.
    Reuters called the Mexico City offices of Minera Grupo Mexico for comment but, at publication time, has yet to hear back.
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register