Major tailings dam disasters

in the Philippines

TVI  PACIFIC  INC  April  6  and  July  11,  2007  Siocon,  Zambonga  del  Norte    

Heavy  rains  washed  out  the  clay  soil  and  destructed  the  concrete  wall  of  the  sulphide  dam  used  for  the  extrac7on  of  copper  and  zinc.  

IMPACTS:    

Contaminated  water,  where  cyanide  and  mercury  is  detectable,  flows  to  the  Canatuan  River  down  to  Siocon  River  and  towards  the  sea.  Two  days  aFer  the  collapse,  it  has  been  reported  that  silta7on  has  reached  up  to  3meters  thick.    

LAFAYETTE  POLYMETALLIC  PROJECT  (LAFAYETTE  MINING  LTD)  October  11  and  31,  2005  Rapu-­‐rapu  Island,  Albay    It  rained  heavily.  Water  eleva7on  at  the  lower  tailings  storage  facility  was  almost  full  due  to  con7nuous  rainfall.    

IMPACTS:  In  the  morning  of  November  1,  2005,  fishes  and  other  marine  organisms  were  found  dead  at  Ungay  and  Hollowstone  Creeks  As  per  DENR  inves7ga7on  report:    

1.  The  effluent  LafayeVe  to  meet  DENR  Effluent  Standards  per  DENR  Administra7ve  Order  90-­‐35  for  parameter  cyanide;  and  

2.  Samplings  conducted  on  4  and  5  Nov.  at  Hollowstone  Creek,  Ungay  Creek  and  Binosawan  River  failed  to  conform  to  conform  to  DENR  Administra7ve  Order  90-­‐35  for  parameter  cyanide.  

DIZON  COPPER  SILVER  MINES  INC.  (DCSMI)    August  27  and  September  11,  2002    San  Marcelino,  Zambales    

The  Spillway  of  Bayarong  tailings  dam  collapsed  during  heavy  rain;    

IMPACTS:  

Low  lying  villages  were  flooded  with  mine  waste;    250  families  evacuated;  

Some  tailings  spilled  

into  Mapanuepe  Lake  

and  eventually  into  the  

Sto.  Tomas  River;  

dams  heavily  damaged  

(especially  Camalca)  

Heavily-­‐rusted  mine  facili7es  at  the  Benguet  Corpora7on-­‐Dizon  Copper/Gold  Mines  (BCD)  in  San  Marcelino,  Zambales.  [Photo  courtesy  of  Tetra  Tech  EM  Inc.]  

Communi7es  residing    In  Dizon  mine  road.  

SIPALAY,  NEGROS  OCCIDENTAL  DISASTERS    

MARICALUM  MINING  CORP.    December  2001    Since  the  ‘temporary’  stoppage  of  opera7ons  no  fresh  tailings  have  been  discharged,  causing  tailings  pond  3  to  dry  up  and  become  prone  to  wind  ac7ons    

IMPACTS:  

Excessive  levels  of  dust  affect  area  of  5  km;  air  quality  affected;  nearby  residents  report  increases  in  respiratory  illnesses  

In  November  8,  1982  under    MARICALUM  MINING  CORP,    a  tailings  pond  causing  the    Widespread  inunda7on  of  agricultural  land  up  to  1.5m    High  and  the  silta7on  of  the  Tao-­‐angan  River      

Again  in  December  8,  1995  Under  PHILEX  MINING  CORP,  Destruc7on  of  tailings  pond    Caused  the  silta7on  of    Sipalay  River.  

ATLAS  CONSOLIDATED  MINING  AND  DEVELOPMENT  CORP.  (ACMDC)    August  9,  1999    Toledo  City,  Cebu    

Outlet  in  drainage  tunnel  of  the  open  pit  (from  closed  copper  mine)  was  clogged  resul7ng  in  loosening  of  accumulated  silt,  causing  discharge  into  the  Sapangdaku  River  towards  the  sea  

IMPACTS:  

Silta7on  of  Sapangdaku  River;    

Increase  in  acidity  of  affected  water  bodies  causing  fish  kill    

released approximately 5.7 million m3 of acidic water into Sapangdaku and into the open sea  

All  under  MANILA  MINING  CORP.  (MMC)  

•   July  9,  1987:  Dam  failure  causing  fish  kills  

•   September  2,  1995:  Dam  founda7on  failure  at  tailings  pond  5  of  the  Placer  copper-­‐gold  project  killing  5  people  and  coastal  pollu7on  

•   April  26,  1999:  Tailings  spill  from  damaged  concrete  pipe  in  tailings  pond  caused  40  homes  to  be  buried  and  40  hectares  of  land  affected  including  20  hectares  of  agricultural  land  

PLACER,  SURIGAO  DEL  NORTE  DISASTERS    

DISASTERS  IN  SIBUTAD,  ZAMBOANGA  DEL  NORTE  UNDER  PHILEX  GOLD  PHILIPPINES  INC.  (PHILEX  MINING  CORP.)    

Two  incidents  of  heavy  rain  resulted  in  mudflow  and  rockslide  into  silt  dam  at  Lalab  (November  6,  1997)  causing  flashfloods  damaged  nearby  houses  and  rice  fields  and  the  overflowing  of    silt  dam  at  the  Sibutad  gold  project  (in  June  27,  1998)  causing  fish  kill  and  blindness.        

October  17,  1986,  Mankayan,  Benguet  (Lepanto  Consolidated  Mining  Corpora7on):  Collapse  of  tailings  pond  3  due  to  weakened  dam  embankment  caused  by  addi7onal  loading  caused  the  silta7on  of  the  Abra  River  which  affected  9  municipali7es    

BENGUET  DISASTERS  

According  to  the  Save  The  Abra  River  Movement,  the  silta7on  and  toxic  pollu7on  of  the  rivers  deprives  communi7es  in  Cervantes  of  about  7.33  million  kg  of  rice  worth  US$2.27  million  per  annum.  

January  1992,  Padcal,  Tuba,  Benguet  (Philex  Mining  Corp.):  Collapse  of  dam  wall  at  tailings  pond  2  due  to  weakened  founda7on  caused  by  the  1990  Northern  Luzon  earthquake  effected  the  heavy  silta7on  affected  downstream  government  irriga7on  system  

BENGUET    DISASTERS  

June  26,  1993,  Mankayan,  Benguet  (Itogon-­‐Suyoc  Mines  Inc):  Overtopping  at  the  dam  of  the  Itogon-­‐Suyoc  gold  and  silver  mines  occurred  during  a  typhoon  when  the  dam’s  penstock  and  diversion  tunnel  were  blocked  caused  the  silta7on  of  adjoining  river  

BENGUET    DISASTERS  

MARINDUQUE  TRAGEDIES  

FillFille  

THE  WORST  MINING  DISASTER:  MARINDUQUE  EXPERIENCE  

December  6,  1993,  Marinduque  Island  MARCOPPER  MINING  CORP    

The  Maguila-­‐Guila  silta7on  dam  collapsed  due  to  pressure  from  heavy  silta7on  at  the  dam  wall  and  caused  the  Mogpog  River  to  be  flooded;  2  children  killed;  livestock  killed;  agricultural  land  contaminated;  downstream  communi7es  and  Mogpog  Town  flooded.    

March  24,  1996,  Marinduque  Island  MARCOPPER  MINING  CORP  

 According  to  the  company  the  rock  around  a  cement  plug  inserted  into  the  former  Tapian  open  Pit  drainage  tunnel  to  convert  it  into  a  tailings  containment  was  fractured  and  the  plug  failed.  However,  the  tunnel  started  leaking  in  August  1995.  In  September  1995  Marcopper/Placer  Dome  started  drilling  down  160  meters  to  the  tunnel.  On  24  March  1996  the  drill  hit  the  tunnel,  released  an  air  pocket  holding  back  tailings  and  started  the  spill.  

©  MACEC  IMPACTS  TO  PEOPLE’S  HEALTH  AND  LIVELIHOOD  AND  ECONOMY  

©  MACEC  

Fish  kills;  death  of  Boac  and  Mogpog  River    

IMPACTS  TO  PEOPLE’S  HEALTH  AND  LIVELIHOOD  AND  ECONOMY  

• Evacua7on  of  1200  residents    • 26  km  of  the  Makulaquit  and  Boac  river  systems  filled  with  tailings  rendering  them  unusable    • $80  million  in  damage  (the  real  figure  is  much  higher  3)    • Flash  floods  isolated  5  Villages  • 67,000  m3  of  bagged    tailings  collected  and    stacked  in  taVered  sacks    on  banks  of  Boac  River  since  cleanup  began  in    summer  2000  

THE  WORST  MINING  DISASTER:  MARINDUQUE  EXPERIENCE  

FillFille  

WHAT  MINERS  CANNOT  SOLVE:    Acid  Mine  Drainage  

Acid mine drainage or acid rock drainage, is the acidic water that drains out of above-ground or under-ground coal and metal mines. It may form inside the mine or several kilometers downstream.

It can occur during mining operations and even when operations has finished and the site is abandoned.

It affects stream and river ecosystems by increasing acidity, depleting oxygen, and releasing heavy metals, such as aluminum, iron, manganese, and zinc.  

“The  miner  rapes  the  heart  of  earth  With  his  

violent  spade.”  -­‐Kath  Walke,  IP  Poet  

© Alyansa Tigil Mina

THANK  YOU.  

Photos  and  data  were  taken  from  the  following  sources:    

•  ATM  File  Photos  •  Ofam  Ombudsman  Report  on  Marinduque  •  Legal  Rights  and  Natural  Resources  Center  (LRC)  •  Philippine  Indigenous  Peoples  Links  (Piplinks)  •  Marinduque  Council  for  Environmental  Concerns  (MACEC)  

•  Alex  Felipe  Photos  •  www.saverapurapu.blogspot.com  •  www.panoramio.com  •  www.mustardseedblog.com