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Tailings pond collapses in East Montgomery Mines, Region 10
– over 100 households affected
Pictures showing the affected areas in Region 10
Kaieteur News – The tailings pond located at East Montgomery Mines, Region Ten, owned by BOSAI Minerals Group, collapsed on Thursday, between 9:00-10:00hrs, compromising the residential areas of the surrounding communities, affecting over 100 households.
In an interview with this publication, Deron Adams, the Chairman of Region Ten, said that the collapse was as a result of heavy flooding that caused the sand to sink in the tailings pond, causing a breach. Tailings ponds are a mixture of water, sand, clay and residual chemicals left over from the mining process.
Adams, stated that three areas have been affected thus far, leaving 35 households affected in Maria Elizabeth, 46 in Three Friends mines and over 60-70 households in the Coomacka area.
Adams, added that several organisations and companies has since visited the areas to offer support to those that are affected and also to investigate ways in which the breach can be managed to prevent further damage in the said areas. On site yesterday were the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), Civil Defence Commission (CDC), National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), BOSAI Minerals Group, a team from the Ministry of Public Works and the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) who are working to ensure that the water does not come into contact with any electric wires. The Regional Disaster Relief Committee in Region Ten will also be distributing hampers to the affected households.
In 1995, a tailings dam at the Omai Gold Mines breached, releasing up to 100,000 cubic meters per hour of waste containing Cyanide. The toxic waste entered the Omai River before flowing into the Essequibo River, the major river in the country which is a vital resource for drinking water and fishing. The Pan-American Health Organisation (PAHO) reported at the time that the Cyanide concentration in the Omai River was high and that communities and ecosystems along the Essequibo River had been seriously impacted.
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