Akara rejects vote affirming mine leak by fact-finding committee

By The Nation

 

Akara Resources, the operator of the Chatree mine at the centre of a controversy over health accusations by locals, has rejected the conclusions of a fact-finding committee that confirmed leakage from the company’s first tailing storage facility (TSF1).

 

The company, a subsidiary of Australian mining enterprise Kingsgate Consolidated, in a press release on Tuesday argued that the finding was not unanimous in a vote by committee members, and that the research that formed the backbone of the committee’s decision did not meet academic standards. 

 

The committee was formed two years ago by the Industry Ministry to get to the truth and resolve conflicts over public-health and environmental accusations by people living near the Chatree mine and other parties. It is headed by Industry Ministry permanent secretary Pasu Loharjun.

 

After reviewing the evidence, the committee on July 13 voted that the Pichit gold mine’s storage facility TSF1 had leaked, contrary to company denials, and that could have caused heavy metals from the mine to contaminate the environment.

 

The Akara statement insisted that the committee’s resolution was suspect and that it was inappropriate for it to be seen as an official confirmation that TSF1 had leaked. The committee members were not qualified to pass judgement on the research, it suggested. 

 

“Most members of the committee are not specialists or have technical knowledge on this field of study. Moreover, the process to approve this questionable study was only asking the opinion of the committee members, whether they are in agreement with the study finding or not,” the statement said.

 

Akara said there were only seven members from the official agencies that voted in favour of this study, while six representatives from the local communities and gold mine operator voted against the study, and the remaining 52 members abstained from casting a vote.

 

The Naresuan University research team led by Tanaphon Phenrat, along with a team from two Japanese institutes, had applied geophysics and electrical resistance techniques to examine TSF1 and its surrounding environment to detect leakage. The report concluded that the water from TSF1 had leaked into the environment, as the team had found the traces of unnatural heavy metal contamination in groundwater downstream from TSF1.

 

Akara also argued the research did not meet academic standards and that the researchers had used improper techniques to examine the leakage.

 

Moreover, the company and other specialists have previously protested the report’s result and explained their detailed criticism in the report’s appendix.

 

“Despite Kingsgate and [the] Thai government having the legal conflict and currently engaging in the arbitration process, the company still believes that the problem solving process of the committee to find the truth and resolve conflicts over the gold mine’s problems will be just and transparent,” the statement wrote.

 

“Akara Resources also insist that we have strictly followed the laws and regulations under the supervision of Primary Industries and Mines Department, so our operation did not generate the adverse impacts to the environment and health of the local people.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30351069

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-7-30

When it comes to anything like this then you need to know the financing behind it...whether it is business or medical related research or anything else. Follow the money and the truth will out. In this one though, probably a whitewash as the environment is always a sorry second or third to all else....namely greed and vested interests of the elite.

41 minutes ago, Sir Dude said:

In this one though, probably a whitewash as the environment is always a sorry second or third to all else....namely greed and vested interests of the elite.

                                                       

Cyanide solution is used in the extraction of fine gold probably with no thought of ground water contamination.?

sounds like they didnt pay the right people enough money to go along with what they wanted the results to be, the leakage was proved by the scientific teams but obviously the company doesnt want that knowledge to get out, I believe the company does protest to loud

The possible main culprit and prime beneficiary of the criminal actions (committed out of greed, to increase its profits), rejects the conclusions of the fact-finding-committe. Did anyone expect anything else from this b...ards? They will pull it in front of the courts for over a decade. Maybe even, when let to, causing more harm to populations and environment in the meantime...

13 hours ago, sammieuk1 said:

Cyanide solution is used in the extraction of fine gold probably with no thought of ground water contamination.?

The study did not find significant cyanide contamination in water sources nearby paddy fields.

https://tech2.org/thailand/akara-denies-that-there-is-waste-in-the-mine-pond/

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

only seven members from the official agencies that voted in favour of this study, while six representatives from the local communities and gold mine operator voted against the study, and the remaining 52 members abstained from casting a vote.

If these "official agencies" are government funded agencies, they might have a substantial conflict of interest in the government's accusation of mine contamination, especially with the junta overseeing all government operations. Furthermore, official agencies being the only ones to vote in favor of the study out of 65 sub-panel members is not a mandate to blame Akara for alleged contamination.

• There's something wrong when 80% of the sub-panel abstains! At best such abstentions imply inconclusive determination and at worst fear of being punished by the Junta. 

Akara produced a report more than 250 pages of data, analysis and conclusions to support its position that it was not responsible for alleged contaminations. But it doesn't seem that Akara's report was rebutted (assuming its report was even reviewed by the committee) point by point so at best the Committee's findings are "interesting" but not conclusive evidence of wrongdoing by Akara. It's likely that 2 out of the 3 arbitration tribunal members would find against Thailand's complaint. Prayut needs to find some face-saving solution to resolve the case prior to a final arbitration decision.

who know the complete stroy, than you know its all bullshit

 

2015 licence revoke after army coup

2016 alligations ofwasting enviromental

2016 not not study found evidence from 8 thaifirms and researchers

2016 the arny hierd foreign companys  to prove  that they wasting enviromental..no prov

2016 a suspicous company named northern gulf petroleum , offerd  atakeover, ceo related to goverment. if they would get 50,1% of all shares "They would reopen the mine within 3 month, bcs the ceo has good relation w the goverment" takeover 90% bellow shreprice failed completly

2017  atrial go underway under FTA

2017 army give back the licence to Akara, no explanation no compensation

2018 the boss of the army said: " we will not pay any compensation,but will give substantial other benefittts to akara"

2018 akara asked what mean "substantial other benfits" no answer

2018and now this..  as expected ..they play on time , that the company go bancrupt before the court could judge under fta

 

resources of all : search in google under kingstgate ltd ..all news aviable ( on theyr web,on asx web,and dif other sources...follow the readings about NGP and the statements about the takeover by the CEO,very intresting

 

the same happend 2006  when the ary ruled to THL in LOey ,another gold producer

The Thai government needed to bring in experts before closing the mine.  A legal binding agreement was broken by the Thai government, so they needed proof before the mine was as closed.  It is possible that fortune tellers or amulets were involved in the decision, but unfortunately that won’t stand up in arbitration 

Edited July 31, 20187 yr by Redline

22 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The committee members were not qualified to pass judgement on the research, it suggested. 

Well, Akara most certainly isn't.

Having worked for a mining company, and having studied while at University many examples of mine waste pollution,  you can safely say that tailings dams are about REDUCING pollution, not stopping it. It is unlikely in the long term that there is no leakage, particularly in a high rainfall environment. When you have people living in the vicinity of a mine which could cause pollution, it should be that chemical and biological sampling is done routinely, particularly on water sources in the area. Pollution from mine wastes can last for hundreds of years, so shouldn't be taken lightly,

 

Cyanide if at low concentrations wouldn't last long, as it is biodegradable.

On 7/31/2018 at 10:20 AM, lapamita said:

they play on time , that the company go bancrupt before the court could judge under fta

Just a minor note that there is no court role under the TAFTA. Any decision and timetable is controlled by the three-person arbitration tribunal (1 chosen by Thailand, 1 chosen by Australia, 1 chosen by consensus from the other two). A majority decision by the tribunal is binding and can only be appealed to the tribunal.

In 2017(?) local alleged affected citizens filed a lawsuit with the Thai court that accepted the lawsuit against Ankara for consideration; however, any ruling by a Thai court has no legal standing under TAFTA.

Miss-information and lack of knowledge is clear in this case, 

as are some comments by people who have no idea about the location, situation and what actually happened, 

inflaming their own thoughts or what they perceive to have happened 

the post by Lapamita is closest to what has gone on at this mine , add on strong arm tactics 

bribes and so desperate to gain control,

the locals in most of Thailand where ever a potential mine is or possibility to have,  do not know about mining don't understand mining and full of misinformation, scare tactics in an already fanciful place where lucky creams make you white, and ghost stalk the forrest.