ARGENTINA – An Argentine judge has lifted the stop work order at the Veladero gold mine high in the Andes Mountains. The order banned the addition of reagents to the heap leach circuit following a cyanide spill caused by a faulty valve on Sept. 13, 2015.
Barrick Gold of Toronto said it immediately initiated downstream water monitoring, including testing by an independent third party. No health risk to the nearby communities was found. The findings are consistent with independent water testing results released by other third parties in San Juan province, including the public health department and the state water distribution company, added the company.
As much as 1.0 million litres of cyanide escaped. Barrick has implemented further preventive measures and controls to prevent similar issues in the future. Gold production from the mine is expected to meet guidance this year.
Learn more about the Veladero mine at Barrick.com.
Comments
DC Hansman
This article says “As much as 1.0 million litres of cyanide escaped…”. It would be nice to think that CMJ would get the facts straight and not fall prey to journalistic exaggeration. The typical range of leach solution is 0.02% -0.05% NaCN so even if you take the high side of the range, the amount of contained cyanide was not even close to the amount your headline implies. Unfortunate in any amount, of course, but let’s not get carried away in the enthusiasm for a good headline.