Mayor and prefect deliver studies showing pollution risk of Loma Larga, could lead to license revocation

The mayor of Cuenca, Cristian Zamora; and the prefect of Azuay Province, Cristóbal Lloret, delivered technical reports about the environmental impact of the Loma Larga mine, formerly known as Quimsacocha. The two met with the governor of Azuay, Xavier Bermúdez Monday to provide the documents. The meeting became confrontational. <This is your civics lesson for the day – the mayor and prefect hold elected offices and the governor is appointed by the president.> The delivery of the reports complies with what Pres. Noboa asked for during a radio interview on el 12/9. He said the information was necessary to revoke the environmental license given to Dundee Precious Metals (DPM) Ecuador for the Loma Larga mining project.

Mayor Zamora delivered a package with 8 documents.

Azuay Province Prefect Cristóbal Lloret and Cuenca Mayor Cristian Zamora present studies showing the environmental risk of the Loma Larga gold mine.

1. A report by the Ministerio del Ambiente, Agua y Transición Ecológica (MAATE) which, according to Zamora, had been hidden. It warned about the danger of pollution.

2. A study by the Empresa de Telecomunicaciones, Agua Potable y Alcantarillado (ETAPA EP) which confirmed the threat of water contamination. This information forms part of the judicial process that is underway.

3: A draft of a scientific article by professors and researchers from the US, Costa Rica, and Ecuador which showed a connection between underground and surface water. Mayor Zamora said that they are proving scientifically that the study from the mining company which assured that there is no connection between surface and underground waters is false. <Surprise, surprise. The dollar trumps truth.>

4. An expert’s report done in 2016 by James R. Kuipers of Kuipers & Associates (see following item for findings) requested by MIningWatchCanada and the Environmental Defender Law Center.

5. A 2013 report from the Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Miniéres (BRGM) from France which warned about environmental inpacts from mining activity at Loma Larga.

6. A 2022 study by the Corporación Geoambiental Terrae from Colombia about the hydrological and environmental risks of the project.

7. The results of the Consulta Popular (Referendum) on el 7/2/2021 in which almost 80% of the population of Cuenca voted against mining in water recharge zones.

8. Lastly, a request sent to Audrey Azoulay, director of the Naciones Unidas para la Educación la Ciencia y la Cultura (Unesco) to conduct an inspection of Loma Larga. This was because Unesco declared the Macizo del Cajas as a Natural Heritage Site of worldwide importance that should be conserved.

Prefect Juan Cristóbal Lloret delivered a report about the environmental impact of the project with technical and legal arguments that sustained the environmental implications of mining activities. The document, titled “Pronunciamiento sobre la emisión de la licencia ambiental para Estudio de Impacto Ambiental y Plan de Manejo Ambiental del Proyecto Minero Loma Larga” (Statement on the issuance of the environmental license for the Environmental Impact Study and Environmental Management Plan for the Loma Larga Mining Project) thoroughly analyzed the concession.

Prefect Lloret recalled that in spite of the March for Water on el 16/9, more than 8 days have passed without the issuance of any administrative act to revoke the license. The study concluded that Loma Larga is incompatible and unfeasible in the Quimsacocha páramo, the fragile ecosystem that captures, stores, and distributes water to Cuenca and 11 more localities. In addition, he warned that the concession threatens food security, will affect irrigation of crops, and represents a risk to public health due to contamination from heavy metals such as arsenic and mercury.

Governor Bermúdez insisted that Noboa’s decision is to stop the project and the reports will serve as technical justification to revoke the environmental license. <Do you really think this revocation will be any faster than the removal of the oil drilling rigs in the Yasuní?> He clarified that the mining concession was inherited, and this government is looking for a legal and technical solution without opposition to the management of water resources. <Either my Spanish isn’t up to translating what he said, or what he said didn’t make sense. He indicated that the invitation to the authorities was not made via social media but formally, and asked that this government not be accused of being opposed to the care of water.

He added that the administrative procedures take time and will not be an overnight process. <In other words, the environmental permits will be revoked after Dundee is finished digging out all the gold, silver and copper, but before any remediation work is done. Better put a line item in your budget for bottled water.>

Pericia norteamericana (North American expert) – The 2016 report from James R. Kuipers of Kuipers & Associates about Loma Larga and Río Blanco identified significant environmental risks such as massive water pumping which could affect lakes, rivers, and water sources essential for local communities and crops. The study warned about the presence of arsenic in the mineralized rock that would put human health, animals, and water quality at risk when it is freed during the exploitation of the mine.

Another critical discovery was the probability of acid draining from the mines which has the capacity to contaminate water sources with heavy metals for decades and affect ecosystems and the population. The report warned about the destruction of fragile ecosystems such as the páramos which are vital to water regulation, carbon sequestration, and local biodiversity. In economic terms, Kuipers was uncertain about the viability of the projects. The pre-feasibility studies showed financial risks, especially the risk of falling metal prices.

Kuipers also warned about the long-term costs of closing the mine and treatment of contaminated water which could exceed immediate benefits, and he questioned the economic sustainability of the mining initiative. <But that’s how it works. The mining company takes the profits and leaves, probably on the same flights as the politicians with their suitcases full of cash, and the local population is stuck with the cleanup costs or living with poisoned water.> The Kuipers report is a solid technical base to debate the feasibility of the Loma Larga and Río Blanco mines and reinforces the need to evaluate environmental impacts before continuing with the exploitation of the mines.

Inspección de franceses – Technicians from the Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Miniéres (BRGM) made an inspection of the Loma Larga and Río Blanco mines in 2013. The study combined technical visits and document review. The analysis concluded that the fragile ecosystems could suffer irreversible damage if the project reached the exploitation stage. It also warned that the concessions lacked solid studies about the behavior of underground water. The document said that the environmental studies presented by the mining companies are insufficient and do not consider accumulated risks nor did they present a rigorous exploration of technical and territorial alternatives.

The French study highlighted that acid drainage from rocks could contaminate soils and water sources with heavy metals, necessitating robust monitoring plans. <So they monitor. And they say, yes, we are poisoning the local water. So what — let them drink Perrier.> BRGM also questioned the design of storage for the mine tailings The integrity of the geomembranes and diversion channels, and the stability of the dams in the face of heavy rains or earthquakes are latent risks that should not be minimized. BRGMs main conclusion is that mining in the páramos implies significant risks and hydrological studies should be amplified, land planning should be strengthened, and independent information should be guaranteed. <If the projects reach the exploitation stage, do you think International Living will keep Cuenca on its list of best places to retire?>
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Information in this column, including dates, times and locations, is courtesy of the El Mercurio newspaper. Comments between the carrots, or guillemets (< … >), are the personal opinions of the author and not part of the news translation.