Two years after Mexico’s biggest mine spill villagers still don’t trust their drinking water

About 10 million gallons of mining acid spilled into the Sonora river on Aug. 7, 2014. (Clean-up crew | Image from archives)

Close to 40,000 cubic meters of wastewater from a copper mine in northern Mexico spilled into rivers in 2014, forcing authorities to restrict water supply to urban areas.

The leak, which is now considered the worst environmental disaster in the country’s history, came from Grupo Mexico’s (BMV:GMEXICOB) Buenavista copper mine, located only about 40 km from the U.S. border, and contaminated the Bacanuchi River, a tributary of the Sonora River.

Understanding and training on the several technical and engineering issues associated with water management in mining is a must

The spill affected seven different municipalities, turning the 420-kilometer-long waterway orange, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. To date, affected communities don’t trust their drinking water and claim the mine was operating without the minimum requirements demanded by the Mexico’s environmental law.

Experts say that water issues and management vary from site to site and must be addressed locally. But before even getting to that point, appropriate understanding and training on the several technical and engineering issues associated with water management in mining is a must, they warn.

From April 5 to 7, leader in professional development and training for the mining industry — EduMine — is presenting a three-day live webcast by Jack Caldwell, consultant with over 35 years of engineering experience on mining, civil, geotechnical and site remediation projects.

Register for “Fundamentals of Mine Water Management” now

 

The course introduces participants to the basic technical and engineering issues, as well as the solutions of managing mine waters. It is intended to benefit both, those new to the topic and those who already have experience in what is considered one of the key issues facing miners in the 21st century.

For more information and to register, please visit: http://www.edumine.com/courses/live-webcasts/fundamentals-of-mine-water-management/

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