Locals point to severe water pollution near Akara gold mine

[rooster59]

Locals point to severe water pollution near Akara gold mine

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE SUNDAY NATION

 

A team of researchers from Naresuan University collects water samples from the canal near Chatree gold mine in Phichit last week (courtesy of Thanyarat Sinthonthammathat)

 

TEST RESULTS AWAITED AFTER BLACK WATER FOUND IN CANAL

 

PEOPLE living near Akara’s gold mine in Phichit have reported water pollution in local canals and paddy fields, and are awaiting results of tests by the authorities, the mining company and academics.

 

Local gold mine protester Thanyarat Sinthonthammathat published pictures and a video clip on Friday of what appeared to be severely polluted, black water in a canal near the Chatree gold mine in Tambon Khao Chet Luk, Thap Khlo district.

 

Thanyarat told The Nation yesterday this was not the first time that local people had found the canal polluted. She claimed that the polluted water had come from a spring in a paddy field near the gold mine’s tailing storage facility. The mining company has denied that any leakage has occurred.

 

“Local people have witnessed the wastewater leakage from the gold mine several times but this time there is more polluted water than previously and it has totally turned the water in the canal black,” Thanyarat said. She said the polluted water in the canal and paddy field near the gold mine had a very bad smell that irritated people’s respiratory tracts. Many dead fish have also been found in the canal.

 

“We are very concerned about the toxic substance in the water,” Thanyarat stressed. “Two years ago we found that the spring water in the paddy field near gold mine contained a high level of cyanide.

 

“We want the authorities to transparently examine the water and tackle this issue as soon as possible, because this canal flows to Nan River [one of four major tributaries of the Chao Phraya River] and if the water contains dangerous substances, people in the entire Chao Phraya River Basin will be at risk too.”

 

It has been reported that a team from the Pollution Control Department, Akara Resources and Naresuan University had collected water samples and analysed it separately at their laboratories. The results are expected to be released within the next three weeks.

 

Meanwhile, the head of Akara’s corporate affairs group, Cherdsak Utha-aroon, denied that the polluted water had leaked from the gold mine’s tailing storage facility and claimed this was another effort by the opposition group to defame the company.

 

“The paddy field is on the west of the second tailing storage facility, which is currently operational. However, our gold mine has suspended its operations since January and our tailing storage facility is properly built and will not leak,” Cherdsak said.

 

“It is very intentional that Thanyarat, who lives quite far from the paddy field in question, has found a polluted water leakage here.”

 

He stated that the company also doubted the cyanide contamination claim and urged that such an allegation needed to be proven scientifically. He emphasised that once the test results were released, every stakeholder should respect the result.

 

The environmental and health impacts from the Chatree gold mine have always been a hot issue between the gold mine operator and the opposition group. 

 

This was the main reason for the government ordering the closure of the gold mine in January. The closure has triggered Akara’s parent company in Australia, Kingsgate Consolidated, to sue the Thai government. That case continues.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30331960

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-11-19

[Thechook]

Canals and stream right across Thailand run black.  The canal beside our home has the flow from the rice fields over back and it is currently black.  These researchers from the university are using buckets and old milk containers to collect their samples.  Why not use proper scientific sterile sample containers that most scientists use?  They are a one use container, what have these buckets and old drink containers been used for previously.  Not very scientific if the containers are already contaminated.

[geriatrickid]

4 hours ago, Thechook said:

Canals and stream right across Thailand run black.  The canal beside our home has the flow from the rice fields over back and it is currently black.  These researchers from the university are using buckets and old milk containers to collect their samples.  Why not use proper scientific sterile sample containers that most scientists use?  They are a one use container, what have these buckets and old drink containers been used for previously.  Not very scientific if the containers are already contaminated.

Perhaps the results have already been determined.  After all, we have been repeatedly assured that there is no risk of pollution.

[Thechook]

1 hour ago, geriatrickid said:

Perhaps the results have already been determined.  After all, we have been repeatedly assured that there is no risk of pollution.

Maybe.  It would be nice tho if these thai university scientists documented things at the scene not just grabbing a bucket of water and wandering back.  Take same samples, seal the containers, log them, do prelims at the scene on their data base.  Where is the continuity of the sample.  A bucket of water in the back of a pickup.  This is going to international arbritration and the thai defence will be we got a bucket of water?  The company legal team will take them to the cleaners before smoko

[Srikcir]

1 hour ago, Thechook said:

Maybe.  It would be nice tho if these thai university scientists documented things at the scene not just grabbing a bucket of water and wandering back.  Take same samples, seal the containers, log them, do prelims at the scene on their data base.  Where is the continuity of the sample.  A bucket of water in the back of a pickup.  This is going to international arbritration and the thai defence will be we got a bucket of water?  The company legal team will take them to the cleaners before smoko

The other thing not mentioned and maybe missing is a key aspect in scientific analysis - a benchmark for comparison purposes. Like analyzing levels of radiation but not accounting for background radiation. Or accounting for other sources of contamination such as fertilizers.

 

Before operation of the mine in 2001 did the government field survey & analyze the existing quality of ground and stream waters that could be used as a benchmark for any subsequent mine contamination? If not, coming back now to say contamination has been found might not carry much weight in arbitration (Thai courts have no authority), especially if no malfunction issues were found in the physical plant for decyanidaztion.

[eliotness]

The largest source of error in environmental chemical analysis is the sampling.  The laboratory errors in labs certified to the ISO standard are within reason, but if samples are taken in used milk (or whatever) containers then there is the potential for significant errors in analyses such as BOD.  If there was a proper EIA before the mine commenced operation then the background concentration of "pollutants" would be known.  Without those figures any case against the mine owners will fail in an international court.  Oh I just wish Thailand would get its act together and do things to international standards instead of "Thainess".