Fact Sheet Choropampa

Transcription

1 Fact Sheet Chrpampa (English Translatin)

2 Fact Sheet Chrpampa (English Translatin) Table f Cntents Cntents Intrductin... 1 Facing the Prblem... 1 Actins taken by Yanaccha... 1 Health... 1 Clean-Up and Recvery f Spilled Mercury... 2 Envirnmental Mnitring... 3 Envirnmental Risk Assessment... 3 Cmpensatin Prgram... 3 Preventive Measures... 5 Lawsuits in Peru and Abrad... 5 Lawsuits in Peru... 5 Lawsuits in the United States f America... 5 CONCLUSIONS... 5

3 Intrductin Fact Sheet Chrpampa On June 2, 2000, an accident ccurred when a truck f a carrier cntracted by Minera Yanaccha spilled 11.1 liters f mercury while transprting elemental mercury t Lima via the Cajamarca-Pacasmay rad. The cmpany recgnized that this mercury spill in Chrpampa, San Juan and Magdalena (Cajamarca) caused health prblems fr sme inhabitants frm these cmmunities, and wrked with Peruvian Health authrities t address and reslve thse impacts. Yanaccha apprached the accident with respnsibility. The cmpany wrked tgether with the relevant authrities in rder t address the issues assciated with the spill. Envirnmental Risk Assessment Studies carried ut fr tw years after the spill shw and cnfirm that nce remediatin effrts were perfrmed in the affected areas, there was n cntaminatin danger fr the inhabitants r the envirnment in the areas where the accident tk place. The cmpany is aware that peple s health and envirnment prtectin is f utmst imprtance. This is why Yanaccha spared n effrt r resurce t slve the prblems caused by the accident and t prevent smething similar frm happening in the future. Minera Yanaccha allcated mre than US$15 millin in mnitring prgrams and medical care, mercury recvery, envirnmental remediatin, and hme clean-up, as well as in its individual and cmmunity cmpensatin prgram. Yanaccha has reviewed safety systems and prcedures with its cntractrs, and has imprved them in rder t avid similar incidents frm happening in the future. Facing the Prblem Immediately after the accident, sme inhabitants f neighbring areas cllected sme f the spilled mercury and tk it t their hmes, expsing themselves t mercury vaprs, which caused the first cases f peple affected, seven days after the accident. In light f this situatin, Yanaccha set a wrk plan in mtin fcused n the fllwing aspects: 1. Treatment f ptential health risks. 2. Identificatin f impacted areas. 3. Cllectin f mercury in the hands f the inhabitants. 4. Cllectin f spilled mercury, as well as exhaustive clean-up activities f impacted areas and hmes. 5. Individual and cmmunity cmpensatin prgram. Actins taken by Yanaccha Health After the first cases f mercury pisning appeared, the Ministry f Health (with Yanaccha s supprt) started treating affected peple by prviding medical care. Arund

4 4,000 peple underwent medical exams, f which 935 were psitive (abve 20 micrgrams / liter f mercury in urine). In rder t evaluate impacts n peple s health affected during the mercury spill, Yanaccha, always in clse crdinatin with the authrities, brught in the best mercury specialists. The medical team cnsisted f the fllwing dctrs: Drs. Michael Gchfeld and Paul J. Liy, frm the University f Rutgers (Canada). Dr. Michael J. Ksnett, Prfessr f the University f Clrad (United States). Dr. Javier Warsman, frm the Pharmaclgy and Txiclgy Center f Rcky Muntain, Denver (United States). Eng. Reynald Calixt de Camps, frm the Pntificia Universidad Catlica f Ri de Janeir (Brazil), Txiclgy Specialist. Dr. Santiag Españl, Head f Occupatinal Health f Almaden and Arrayanes Mines. (Spain). Specialists agreed that it was a mderate-prprtin acute pisning case with n risks f future health prblems as a result f the accident. Since the beginning f the treatment, peple expsed reacted psitively t the treatment, reducing mercury in their bdiess. By August 2000 (45 days after the accident), 99% f the peple that had high mercury levels, had returned t nrmal levels, and by December 2000, n persn expsed in June 2000 had mercury levels abve nrmal. In Nvember 2000, Cajamarca Reginal Health Divisin (DIRES, by its acrnym in Spanish) and Yanaccha signed a Frame Agreement f Inter-Institutinal Health Cperatin, financing the Mnitring and Fllw-up Prgram fr peple expsed t mercury, including the fllwing actins: Six-mnthly urine Hg tests fr tw years. Envirnmental mnitring by investigating pssible new cases. Hme mnitring and cntrl. Strengthening f DIRES Cajamarca infrmatin system. Likewise, health care insurance was taken ut (with Pacific Peruan Suiza) fr a fiveyear term fr 1,173 inhabitants f the affected areas in rder t treat prblems related t mercury expsure r t remve its presence. This insurance was extended several times. Clean-Up and Recvery f Spilled Mercury Yanaccha set ut clean-up activities t recver the spilled mercury. Frm the 11.1 liters spilled, liters (92.8%) were recvered by clean-up teams. It is estimated that 0.37 liter (3.4%) was temperature-evaprated, and 0.42 liter (3.8%) was nt lcatable. The abve-mentined mercury recvery results are detailed in the reprt prepared with the expert advice f Dr. Marcell Veiga, Prfessr at British Clumbia University, Canada; Ken Espsit f Shepherd Miller Inc., United States (SMI), and with the participatin f the cmpany Cnsulcnt SAC. This reprt has been audited and apprved by the Ministry f Energy and Mines.

5 Envirnmental Mnitring A water and sediment sampling prgram was designed and implemented t assess mercury displacement tward water curses. The results indicate that mercury levels were always belw the limits f the United States Envirnmental Prtectin Agency (USEPA) fr drinking water and aquatic life. Indr air quality mnitring was als carried ut in lw rf envirnments t verify the effectiveness f remediatin activities. In additin, all hmes with measurable mercury levels were duly cleaned-up and certified by the Executive Envirnmental Health Divisin (DESA, by its acrnym in Spanish) f Cajamarca. Envirnmental Risk Assessment Aware f the imprtance f carrying ut a risk assessment, and in rder t identify pssible risks t health and the envirnment, the Ministry f Energy and Mines recmmended Yanaccha t perfrm a Risk Assessment Study. The Risk Assessment Study was carried ut fr a tw-year term by the Internatinal Cnsulting Firm Shepherd Miller (United States). Cnclusins f the reprt were as fllws: - The spilled mercury did nt cntaminate sils, plants r crps in the area f San Juan, Chrpampa and Magdalena. Plant, insect, animal and sil sample results shw that mercury cncentratins are within the nrmal limits fr these media. - Mercury did nt cntaminate water. Mercury never reached the flws in the Jequetepeque river basin, as evidenced by the results frm sample analyses f water, fish, crayfish, and aquatic rganisms. - There is n cntaminatin r pllutin risk in the areas where the mercury spill tk place in the year 2000, based upn the sampling results. - Reprt indicates that clean-up activities were successful and there is n evidence f negative impacts n the envirnment r human health attributable t fd surces. It is imprtant t mentin that this study was audited by the independent cnsulting firm EVS - Envirnment Cnsultants (designated by the Ministry f Energy and Mines), which finished its wrk in Nvember 2002 and submitted the final reprt t the Ministry f Energy and Mines. Cmpensatin Prgram The cmpany set a cmpensatin prgram in mtin including tw types f cmpensatin: individual and cmmunity. Arund 750 peple were cmpensated with an apprximate ttal amunt f S/. 5,350,000 (Five Millin Three Hundred and Fifty Thusand Nuevs Sles).

6 Additinally, a cmmunity cmpensatin prgram was implemented t perfrm several wrks fr the benefit f the affected ppulatins (including schl imprvements, water and drainage wrks, medical pst imprvements, street imprvements, cnstructin f a suspensin bridge in San Juan, and cnstructin f a sprts cmplex in Magdalena). Wrks perfrmed, investment amunt, and prgress r level f cmpliance f each wrk is shwn in the fllwing table: - Chrpampa Wrks Amunt f Agreement (Nuevs Sles) Current Status Prgress % 1. Cnstructin f New Schl 847, Purchase f Land fr Schl 42, Imprvement f Water and Drainage 952, System 4. Imprvement f Existing Schls 224, Sccer Field 112, Expansin f Medical Pst 133, Remdeling f Main Square 35, Imprvement f Secndary Streets 210, Imprvement f the Lima Avenue 35, Ttal 2,590, San Juan Wrks Amunt f Agreement (Nuevs Sles) Current Status Prgress % 1. Cnstructin f a Suspensin Bridge 107, Imprvement f Medical Pst 17, Street blcks (350 mt 2 ) 35, Expansin f Water System 293, Rural Cmmunity Prjects 100, Purchase f Schl Materials 82, Cnstructin f Sprts Slab 24, Ttal 660, Magdalena Wrks Amunt f Agreement (Nuevs Sles) Current Status Prgress % 1. Sprts Cmplex 350, Cahuide Street 27,265 (*) 100 Ttal 377, (*) Yanaccha tk charge f these additinal expenses that were nt included in the agreement.

7 Preventive Measures Frm this difficult experience, Minera Yanaccha has reinfrced inside the cmpany as well as with its cntractrs, its cmmitment t envirnmental and scial respnsibility. The cmpany has reassessed and imprved its internal prcedures t handle and transprt hazardus materials. Additinally, its Emergency Respnse Plans have been revised and imprved and submitted in a timely manner t the Ministry f Energy and Mines. Lawsuits in Peru and Abrad As a cnsequence f the mercury spill, a grup f inhabitants started legal prceedings against the cmpany in Peru, and anther grup f inhabitants decided t jin them. Lawsuits in Peru A grup f 936 peple started filing lawsuits against the cmpany between years 2000 and In sme cases, ut-f-curt settlements were reached and in ther cases, judges have been slving disputes thrugh judicial settlement agreements accrding t Peruvian law. T date, mst f these legal prceedings have been settled. Lawsuits in the United States f America Apprximately 1,000 peple filed lawsuits against the cmpany via ther avenues in U.S. curts. With respect t these legal prceedings in the United States, the parties agreed t g t arbitratin in that cuntry, which finished with an ecnmic cmpensatin fr the plaintiffs. That transactin has been cnsidered cnfidential by mutual agreement. Althugh it is true that this agreement has allwed slving the dispute, it is evident that it generated sme expectatin amng peple that were nt part theref. CONCLUSIONS The different assessments carried ut by natinal and internatinal experts n health and envirnment issues have cncluded the fllwing: Mercury expsure that affected the inhabitants was acute (i.e. f shrt duratin unlike chrnic pisning f lng duratin) and f mderate prprtins. Therefre, health prblems may nt arise in the future as a result f the accident. Spilled mercury did nt cntaminate sils and the bita in the area f Chrpampa. Plant, insect, animal and sil sample results shw that mercury cncentratins are within the nrmal limits fr these media. Mercury did nt cntaminate water. Mercury never reached the flws f the Jequetepeque river basin, as evidenced by the results f sample analyses f water, fish, crayfish, and ther aquaticrganisms.

8 The clean-up f rads, streets and hmes was successful and n evidence f risks that can cause negative impacts n the envirnment r human health thrugh fd have been identified. Envirnmental Risk Assessment Studies carried ut fr tw years shw and cnfirm that after nce remediatin effrts were perfrmed in the affected areas, there was n cntaminatin danger fr the inhabitants and the envirnment is present in the areas where the accident tk place. The cnclusins f the final reprt f the mnitring and fllw-up prject fr peple expsed t elemental mercury in the districts f San Juan and Magdalena, prepared in March 2003 by the Cajamarca Reginal Health Divisin - entity f the Ministry f Health cncluded that accrding t the urine Hg tests that peple underwent, upn the clsure f the prject it can be stated that there are n patients with high mercury levels. Likewise all the hmes that shwed high levels f mercury vaprs at the start f the prject, were cleaned up and at the end f the prject they did nt shw high levels f mercury vaprs. With the remediatin measures taken, any impacts n the San Juan, Chrpampa and Magdalena inhabitants were cntrlled. San Juan, Chrpampa and Magdalena have nt been identified as indigenus cmmunities in the list published n behalf f the Ministry f Culture in Octber 2012.