Turkey urgently needs action following a landslide on Tuesday in an open-cast gold mine in the eastern province of Erzincan,
The incident left nine workers trapped under 10 million cubic meters of mud and raised fears of a cyanide crisis due to the use of the chemical in gold extraction.
As hundreds of rescue workers navigate the cyanide-contaminated field, concern is growing about the environmental impact of the accident.
The use of cyanide and sulphuric acid in gold mining poses a significant risk to the environment, particularly to water systems.
The incident highlights the inherent risks associated with cyanide in mining, including potential accidents during transportation, leaks from acidic waste dams and breaches in containment membranes that can lead to environmental disasters.
As the membrane designed to prevent cyanide contamination is not present in the affected area, the toxic substance poses an immediate threat to soil and groundwater, raising urgent concerns about long-term ecological damage.
BAD NEWS : A massive landslide in Erzincan, Turkey buried miners in the gold mine operated by a Turkish-Canadian joint venture.
It is reported that there is a risk of cyanide-containing soil mobilized by landslides reaching the Euphrates River. pic.twitter.com/Fp4tifCBjy
— CK (@cngzkync) February 13, 2024
The scale of the waste implies a lengthy and difficult clean-up process. Experts warn that the spread of cyanide into the soil and water systems could accelerate with rain and exacerbate the environmental crisis.
The meteorological forecasts predicting rain add to the fear of rapid spread of cyanide in the environment and emphasize the urgent need for containment and remediation measures to mitigate the effects of the disaster.
The proximity of the mining area to the Euphrates River raises the possibility of a large-scale disaster that could render the river’s water unusable and severely impact the entire ecosystem and the communities that depend on it.
The disaster is reminiscent of the catastrophic incident in Baia Mare in Romania in 2000, where a dam burst at a gold mine, causing widespread ecological destruction and health hazards by contaminating the Tizsa River and beyond with cyanide. This spill has been called the worst environmental disaster in Europe since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
The aftermath of the Baia Mare disaster, which resulted in massive wildlife deaths and severe economic impacts on local communities, is a grim reminder of the potential consequences of the current situation in Erzincan.
Far-right Victory Party (ZP) leader Ümit Özdağ traveled to the scene of the disaster and donned special protective clothing and masks to highlight the serious risks. Özdağ said he was denied access to the area and accused of provocation.
“After the Chernobyl disaster, we saw ministers mocking the public when it was said that the tea in the Black Sea region had been contaminated. Then thousands of people in our Black Sea region became cancer patients,” Özdağ said.
Given the vital role that the Euphrates River plays for Syria and Iraq, the effects of the spill could reach far beyond Turkey’s borders, threatening biodiversity, human health and regional stability.
The Ministry of Environment has responded by sealing a stream that flows from the pit into the Euphrates, although local environmental groups argue that the stream had already mixed with the river. In 2022, a cyanide leak resulted in the temporary closure of the mine.
Only after the operator paid a fine was the mine reopened, sparking outrage from opposition parties and local communities.
Anagold, the company that operates the mine, is under scrutiny.
The situation is further complicated by the presence of cyanide in the ground, making the rescue operation for the trapped miners increasingly difficult. The toxic chemical compound, which is used to extract gold from ore, has made the search a dangerous endeavor.
The disaster has led to widespread calls for the immediate closure of the mine, with the Union of Engineering and Architectural Associations and various environmental groups pointing out the ignored warnings of a potential disaster. The arrest of four people, including the mine’s manager, marks the beginning of the investigation into the cause of the accident.
The incident has sparked a wider debate about the safety and environmental impact of mining in Turkey, a country with a history of deadly mining accidents.
