Cyanide spill report is out
The National, Copyright 2000
November 8, 2000
THE OFFICE of Environment and Conservation (OEC) yesterday made public a report of its findings on the environmental impact of the Tolukuma Gold Mine Ltd (TGM) cyanide spill incident in March, confirming the overall clean up success by TGM.
But the OEC has recommended that TGM continue monitoring the isolated areas which returned concentrations above the international limits.
The OEC took 37 soil samples on a regular grid and analysed for cyanide to monitor the success of the clean-up. About half of the samples taken from the spill site showed detectable but low cyanide concentrations.
However, samples from two locations showed cyanide levels exceeding international limits.
The report was released at the launching of the environmental code of practice for mining industries yesterday.
On March 17 this year, one tonne of cyanide pellets spilled to the ground from a transport helicopter when the sling carrying the crate of pellets snapped.
The crate reportedly fell some 30 metres onto a slope in the dense jungles of Central province mountains. Some of the cyanide was washed by rain into a creek.
The investigation into the cyanide spill accident was made possible by the European Union.
The investigation firstly concentrated on monitoring water quality of rivers near the spill site, whose inhabitants would have been the first ones to affected by the possibly contaminated water.
The monitoring was carried out by OEC staff located at Inaina village, who sampled the water between the village and the spill site on a daily basis for 24 consecutive days.
The 24-day water quality monitoring exercise revealed that only sample locations within 100m of the spill site showed detectable cyanide concentrations.
At Inaina village none of the water samples taken showed any detectable cyanide concentrations.