Environmental ‘disaster’ at Akara

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE SUNDAY NATION 

 

 

ACADEMIC SAYS SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE IS PROVED BY REPORT, DISPUTED BY COMPANY

 

Findings of toxic contamination from Akara Resources’ gold mine have been hailed as significant scientific confirmation of an environmental disaster in Phichit, an environmental science academic has warned.

 

Chainarong Sretthachau, a lecturer at Mahasarakham University, has also urged authorities to take immediate action on the issue.

 

 

The inspection of the first tailing storage facility (TSF1) at Akara Resources’ gold mine has confirmed the leakage of contaminated water, while Akara has questioned the reliability of both the report and the researcher.

The report on the inspection of the TSF1 facility for possible leakage, by a team of researchers from Naresuan University and Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, has already been published. It confirmed one of the most important controversial claims surrounding the conflict over the gold mine – that the TSF1 tailing storage facility had leaked.

 

“Every stakeholder should accept this research conclusion that the gold mine really caused the environmental and health impacts to the local communities, while the government must have clear and urgent plans to mitigate the impacts from the leakage of TSF1,” Chainarong said.

 

That finding of leakage was seen by many as very significant, especially considering the ongoing arbitration proceedings between Kingsgate Consolidated and the Thai government over a closure order brought against the mine.

 

The research result might be used to support the Thai government’s decision to suspend the gold mine’s operations.

 

TSF1, a disposal area for tailings and slag, has been filled and closed, but it was found to contain heavy metals and cyanide from mining byproducts, despite Akara’s claim that tailings had been treated to attenuate cyanide concentrations and 75 per cent of water at TSF1 had been reused.

 

Prior to the recent report, residents suspected that mine pollution had contaminated the environment, so the study began as part of a fact-finding committee’s examinations of the gold mine’s alleged problems.

 

According to the report of the research team led by Tanapon Phenrat from Naresuan University, the inspection used geophysics techniques such as the transient electromagnetic (TEM) method and the electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) method.

 

The inspection found electrical resistance abnormalities at the bottom and wall of TSF1, which indicated the water leaked from the well, as water from TSF1 had a different electrical resistance than water in the outside environment.

 

The report also highlighted sulphate levels at the gold mine’s observation wells number 6468, 5339, 6473, 6691 and 5338 found to be higher than the average levels in the area.

 

The water samples from these observation wells and from water springs in paddy fields near the mine also showed similar geochemical characteristics, leading researchers to conclude that contaminated water from TSF1 had leaked from fractured rock at a deeper level and through lateral channels at shallower levels.

 

Additional evidence of leakage included very high arsenic levels in observation well 5338. Although researchers concluded that arsenic found in the well did not directly come from TSF1, leaked water, which was rich in methane and ammonia, could chemically react with iron sulphide that can be found in the well, resulting in the release of arsenic into the environment.

 

That assumption was confirmed by arsenic database monitoring, which showed that the intensity of arsenic in the well continued to rise sharply for about six years after the gold mine opened.

 

Researchers concluded the spring water in paddy fields near the gold mine was also contaminated by TSF1, based on findings that the water showed characteristics of industrial wastewater with high chemical oxygen demand, but low biological oxygen demand.

 

Samples also showed similar levels of ammonia and sulphate contamination to the samples from TSF1.

 

From these findings, researchers suggested there should be an immediate risk assessment of people’s health and the environment due to the leakage. They also recommended a full survey of the area to establish the extent of contamination by the chemicals of concern, including arsenic, manganese and cyanide.

 

There have been reports of sicknesses among the people living around the gold mine, with blood and urine tests in 2014 and 2015 showing that many people exhibiting harmful levels of cyanide, manganese and arsenic. 

 

“The most important issue that the related agencies have to execute first is the impacts to the people’s health. The local residents around the gold mine have been suffering from the illnesses for a very long time, but there is still no concrete measure to help the people,” Chainarong said.

 

He said that in the period since Akara’s gold mine had stopped operations as a result of a government order to close the gold mine last year, relief efforts to get clean food and water distributed to the affected people had ceased. Authorities should immediately help these people and consider their petition to relocate them out of the affected area, he added.

 

Chainarong also highlighted the need to urgently address the need for environmental restoration, as the leakage had already caused the pollutants to contaminate the outside environment.

 

“All related agencies such as Industry Ministry, Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, and Public Health Ministry should start working on the environmental restoration now, as this is really a very urgent and serious problem,” he said.

 

“It is very important that the work on environmental restoration must be done based on the knowledge of environmental engineering, and include public participation in the process, otherwise the restoration plan will not be fruitful and only a waste of the country’s budget.”

 

Chainarong also criticised the Primary Industries and Mines Department for what he viewed as idleness in solving the problems from the gold mining operation. He said the department’s stance leaned towards benefiting the gold mine operator rather than protecting the interests of the country and it people.

 

Akara Resources has disputed the study’s methodology and findings in an attachment to the report. It highlights concerns that the geophysics methodologies of TEM and ERI were improper and had too many limitations to be considered to prove leakage. The company also argued that the report misinterpreted and ignored many facts from the perspective of the gold mine.

 

Leading researcher Tanapon’s expertise on geophysics was also questioned by the company, including a claim that he had jumped to the conclusion that TSF1 had leaked based on his own opinions.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30341671

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-03-24

14 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Chainarong also criticised the Primary Industries and Mines Department for what he viewed as idleness in solving the problems from the gold mining operation. He said the department’s stance leaned towards benefiting the gold mine operator rather than protecting the interests of the country and it people.

sounds  jut  like  the  current "govt" to  me

50 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

He said that in the period since Akara’s gold mine had stopped operations as a result of a government order to close the gold mine last year, relief efforts to get clean food and water distributed to the affected people had ceased.

long term problem addressed in short term methods, now ceased, sounds very thai-ish

7 minutes ago, YetAnother said:

long term problem addressed in short term methods, now ceased, sounds very thai-ish

Yep...it has just been sitting there abandoned and neglected-by the Thais.

 

This will not give them any wriggle room when it comes to abitration.

 

For domestic consumption only.

No one doubts that poisonous and dangerous chemicals are used in mining. Then they keep water and waste in a big pit in the ground for many years in a country with monsoon rains. Just why they expect those soils and rocks to contain that waste for ever is an obvious question. Just like almost every other country Thailand has been happy to take the money till the people got sick, now they are caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place.

i think you could fill that hole with double decker buses and mini vans.

Thailand has many..pattaya beach ,kho larn island to name a few....would we expect anything less from the greedy corrupt and shamless

Shameless Australians poisoning the Thais, good that the government stopped it. Now they got data to back it up. Best thing would be to get an other international team to check it too for extra confirmation. This will help arbitration and help the Thai people.

 

The government did not do many things right but this is one of the things they did do right. They should have used a different procedure but if they can get this report validated by an international agency too the Australians are done for. 

 

For those saying its an article for national consumption... why is it in English then. Did you see it in any of the major Thai newspapers ? People do know the majority of Thais don't have enough comprehension of English to read an article like this.

6 minutes ago, robblok said:

Shameless Australians poisoning the Thais, good that the government stopped it. Now they got data to back it up. Best thing would be to get an other international team to check it too for extra confirmation. This will help arbitration and help the Thai people.

 

The government did not do many things right but this is one of the things they did do right. They should have used a different procedure but if they can get this report validated by an international agency too the Australians are done for. 

 

For those saying its an article for national consumption... why is it in English then. Did you see it in any of the major Thai newspapers ? People do know the majority of Thais don't have enough comprehension of English to read an article like this.

Bizarre.

 

First they have to get an international team to back it up.

 

Why is it in English?

 

Why are you typing in English?

 

For domestic consumption only.

17 minutes ago, robblok said:

Shameless Australians poisoning the Thais, good that the government stopped it. Now they got data to back it up.

there was 5 foreign  companys that cant prove, 18 month ago

still licence was revoked

suspicous takeover offer for akara and kingsgate by a mini company pacific petro, owner related to goverment, said if he gets 50,1% he opens mine within 3month................take over failed

Prayuth returned licence 6 month ago and said would not pay compensation...........but " substencial other benefits" ....hahha, out , ot of the books of goverment ( him scarred in the books,,bcs later could happen to him same like other leaders before,,,,,,,,,,,,,,if hes out of power)

 

and now again a joke report from an unknown source, what want to back the courtcase against goverment under FTA agreement., about compensation

 

full loss  of face for thais

 

after face loss , for me it was clear ,some storys would develop again, haead fo courtcase.

 

Before tehy was thinking ,due to the closure and lack of capital than , they could not fight the case, but still they can. now new development in hope the company cant handle it financilly,if they win more time. day by day company is lossing 1$million

 

the person makes the report is a civi engeneer,  without any reputation in this sector,maybe bought by.................

 

Storys have always 2 sides

"stories have always 2 sides.."

 

Precisely.

thai man with a mini company, Northern gulf petro , whos in default ,registerd in the british virgin islands islands makes and suspcious offer (hes got more companys in the brithish virgin islands ,but not any i know in thailand registerd)

 

https://thewest.com.au/business/finance/thai-tycoon-launches-bid-for-kingsgate-ng-ya-118478

 

more articles can be foundm, and he has good relations to prayut and promised to reopen mine within 3 month if get it.

 

very intresting and if thais win..suresome suspicous thai company will run the mine, without any taking care of enviromental.

 

if cut from the costs per OZ at kingsgate production the costs for enviromental,health and devekopment,,,, its one of the highest profitable mines in the future if thais run it

8 minutes ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

It's a gold mine. It's on Thai soil.

 

Thais love gold. They worship it, literally.

 

Any you still can't work out what is going on here?

 

 

 

belive me i know it better than you ,i foolow the story since beginning , and even other buissenes related developments the last 20 years.

 

But even in akara is a personal intrest

But that is how we do it in OZ !!!

And it is true, they do

11 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The research result might be used to support the Thai government’s decision to suspend the gold mine’s operations.

I assume "used to support the Thai government's decision" is before the arbitration tribunal. That would be good news if Prayut has decided to follow the grievance procedures of the TAFTA. It certainly appears that Kingsgate's response is in the context for a tribunal review.

11 hours ago, rooster59 said:

“Every stakeholder should accept this research conclusion that the gold mine really caused the environmental and health impacts to the local communities

Such a conclusion requires a comparison between pre-existing environmental and health conditions to current. In the Recommendations it states that there should be now various surveys of the area to determine the full scope of alleged impacts. This implies there wasn't prior to the license such surveys that would establish a baseline of pre-existing conditions. The government is basically arguing that what exists today is solely due to the mining operation.

Furthermore, the government in its examination of current data did not consider any company data to validate the accuracy of either sources of data. The government presumes the company operational recordings are irrelevant.

2 hours ago, Srikcir said:

I assume "used to support the Thai government's decision" is before the arbitration tribunal. That would be good news if Prayut has decided to follow the grievance procedures of the TAFTA. It certainly appears that Kingsgate's response is in the context for a tribunal review.

Such a conclusion requires a comparison between pre-existing environmental and health conditions to current. In the Recommendations it states that there should be now various surveys of the area to determine the full scope of alleged impacts. This implies there wasn't prior to the license such surveys that would establish a baseline of pre-existing conditions. The government is basically arguing that what exists today is solely due to the mining operation.

Furthermore, the government in its examination of current data did not consider any company data to validate the accuracy of either sources of data. The government presumes the company operational recordings are irrelevant.

Nice argument but if you build a road and all of a sudden people die on that road you don't need to prove that there were no deaths before before the road was build. Its logical that there were no traffic deaths before the road. (the area was pristine nature before the mine)

 

Just like its logical that there was no pollution before the mine was build, normally forests don't pollute things they are actually beneficial to the health of an area. 

 

It would be important to get an international independent organisation to verify the claims of the university. I don't think they were bias but its obvious that it could look bias through the eyes of others. 

Some troll posts have been removed. 

13 minutes ago, robblok said:

Just like its logical that there was no pollution before the mine was build,

Logic is best proved through scientific evidence.

14 minutes ago, robblok said:

the area was pristine nature before the mine

Source of evidence?

15 minutes ago, robblok said:

if you build a road and all of a sudden people die on that road you don't need to prove that there were no deaths before before the road was build.

Logic still dictates a direct connection must be made between existence of the road and deaths.

Example: Before I built my house there were no deaths in the neighborhood. After I built my house there were deaths. Your logic says my new house caused the deaths. Would you not consider other possible causes, ie., not related to the new house?

Kingsgate says alternative causes were not explored, ie., bias guided data to produce an expected result.

10 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Logic is best proved through scientific evidence.

Source of evidence?

Logic still dictates a direct connection must be made between existence of the road and deaths.

Example: Before I built my house there were no deaths in the neighborhood. After I built my house there were deaths. Your logic says my new house caused the deaths. Would you not consider other possible causes, ie., not related to the new house?

Kingsgate says alternative causes were not explored, ie., bias guided data to produce an expected result.

Your example is not logical, while mine a road and road deaths is. There is a direct relation, just like pollution and a mine are directly connected. 

 

The source of evidence is in the articles about the mine, there was no mine just nature before. Just look them up and read what the villagers had to say.

 

Now lets make it simple.. no mine before... just nature, after that a mine was build and pollution appeared. Even you can understand it was caused by the mine.. no need to prove that unless there is an alternative theory. Its up to Kingsgate to come up with that.. Maybe aliens that started dumping waste materials that you normally only see from mining. Let them prove it. Maybe there is a good alternative but I have not read about it.