Another mine spill has been reported in Mexico, which has poured around 11,000t of toxic material into the country’s rivers.
The incident occurred at the Two Gentlemen’s gold-silver mine in the northern Mexican state of Sinaloa, when waste pollutants leaked out into the Chupaderos stream that flows into the Baluarte River in Concordia town, reported Telesur Agenda citing local authorities.
According to the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Profepa), the discharge occurred due to the collapse of mine’s retention dam on Thursday and the agency was notified three hours later.
The environmental body is yet to ascertain the composition of the effluence; however, state and federal authorities have reportedly taken measures to prevent toxic material entering the ground water.
Meanwhile, Profepa noted that it will initiate administrative proceedings to discover the cause of the spill and start remedial measures, which will be passed by the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat).
In early August, Cananea copper mine, which is owned by Grupo Mexico’s subsidiary Buenavista del Cobre, spilled approximately 40,000m³ of leached copper into the Bacanuchi River, a tributary of the Sonora River, affecting the water supply of more than 22,000 people and killing fish and livestock.
Following that incident, the public and environmental organisations carried out widespread protests in September, forcing the company and its subsidiary to agree to spend $151m on cleaning the toxic spill.