ICMM - International Council on Mining & Metals

CASE STUDY

Losses in transporting mercury

Minera Yanacocha SRL, a subsidiary of Newmont Mining, operates an open pit gold mine in northern Peru. The operation produces mercury as a by-product. This is sealed in 200-kg metal flasks for transportation from the mine to Lima. In June 2000, a truck left the mine site with a load of 10 empty chlorine cylinders and nine flasks of mercury. Exactly how the incident happened is uncertain, but on the road from Cajamarca to the Pan American Highway one of the chlorine cylinders became dislodged and fell off the truck. As the cylinder was too heavy for the driver to recover on his own he continued on his way for a further 40 kilometres. The following day it was discovered that an unknown quantity of mercury had been spilt all along this 40-kilometres stretch of highway that passed through the villages of San Juan, Choropampa and Magdalena. During the intervening period, residents of the villages and surrounding areas found and collected quantities of the mercury, assuming it had some economic or therapeutic value.

In the following days and weeks, 200–300 villagers were found to have some level of exposure to mercury, with varying degrees of illness. As in many emergencies, initial responses involved a certain amount of confusion and lack of preparation for such an event. Initially efforts were made to recover the mercury, though at this stage (the day after the spill), the health authorities were unaware of the risks posed by the inhalation of mercury fumes, believing that skin contact and ingestion posed the only threats. Methods used to warn people that the mercury was poisonous and asking them to return it to the medical posts in the villages started the day after the incident and included verbal warnings with loudspeakers, meetings and advertisements put in local papers. However, efforts were frustrated because villagers refused to return the mercury. By the end of July, approximately 511 people had been treated for some form of mercury exposure, 134 of them in the hospital.

Observations

The following features can be observed from this incident.

• The company’s emergency response plan for dealing with incidents off the mine property was untested.
• There was confusion regarding ‘ownership’ or responsibility for the incident (mine or transport company).
• There was a lack of understanding in the local population as to the health risk from the mercury.
• There was poor initial communication between the mine company and local authorities.
• The remote location of the spill delayed cleanup.

Follow-up action

The Minera Yanacocha shareholders appointed an independent commission under the auspices of IFC’s Compliance Advisor/ Ombudsman to investigate and provide a report on the incident. This report made a number of recommendations, including:

• reviewing and developing new policies and procedures for the handling and transportation of hazardous materials;
• developing and testing emergency response plans to deal with transportation incidents both on and off mine site and testing the plans with simulation exercises;
• providing additional training to company employees, contractors and subcontractors on policies and procedures for the handling and transportation of hazardous materials and on the Emergency Response Plan;
• establishing a mechanism for communication and information to address the issues revealed through the response to the incident and to augment the company’s policies and practices in community relations; and
• providing the community with awareness, risk and education programmes specifically related to the health risk associated with exposure to mercury.

Following this incident, Minera Yanacocha initiated a number of new procedures for ensuring the safer transportation of hazardous materials on public roads. The company also initiated training sessions for the local authorities and communities to explain more about operational activities and hazardous material being used at the site, including the emergency plans and how they can help to reduce risk if needed.

In addition, three mining companies – Minera Antamina, Barrick (Pierina mine) and Newmont (Yanacocha mine) – initiated the promotion of a safe transport initiative that includes APELL implementation (see Case Study 4).

The Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) published a resolution ordering mining operators to submit specific emergency response/contingency plans for the handling and transportation of hazardous or toxic substances. An initial list of substances that could present some level of risk or concern to health or the environment for which contingency plans should be developed includes cyanide, mercury, sulphuric acid, fuels and lubricants, lime, sodium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide. This is in addition to the requirement that all mining operators should submit general emergency response/contingency plans that are audited annually by the MEM.

The IFC issued Hazardous Materials Management Guidelines that specify community involvement.