English 
Impacts to the valley of Huasco

The water (LIFE OF THE VALLEY)

The element most impacted through the mining exploration is the water. It is intervened in Quality y Quantity (compare glaciers). This point is very preoccupying for the valley, because all its economical activities depend on the water.

a) Quantity of water:

In the mining process is necessary a great quantity of water. Will they leave enough water for the life of the valley?

The mining process requires a large quantity of water for it's processing, and there is great concern regarding the actual amount needed, and how it will affect the water supply of the entire region. In the (EIA), is identified the need for 42 lts/sec that will be removed from the upper basin of the rio Estrecho, on the Chilean side (EIA 2-18). Although this quantity does not look significant, it's nearly 1/3 of the quantity of water of the river (that takes 130 lts/sc).
Additionally, Barrick makes no mention of amount of water that will be used for the irrigation of the paths (EIA 2-17). In dry years without showers Barrick only mentions in the EIA to use an amount of 32lts/sec, but has not consulted with the Junta de Vigilancia, which is the organization responsible for the water. There also needs to be some independent agency to control the amount of water consumed by Barrick.

There is also great concern about the amount of water needed for the reservoirs for the treatment of acid water.
And it is a known fact that there are cases in the north of Chile, where rivers have dried up as a result of mining activities, for example, the river in the valley of Calama and the Chuquicamata mine.


b) Quality of water:

The substances, that are used in the chemical mines and that are products of the process, as well as the substances that proceed through the way of work in mines above opened sky intervene in the quality of water and in this way in salute and life.

Chemical mines and dangerous substances

It is fairly well documented that the mining process includes many dangerous products:
  1. Sulfuric acid - 2700 liters of sulfuric acid to produce one ton of copper
  2. Cyanide - 16.755 kg of cyanide each year for the mining process (EIA 2-14), which is such a poisonous substance that one gram can kill 10 to 15 people
  3. Mercury - 29 tons of mercury(EIA 2-2), a by-product that will be selt by Barrick
Barrick will transport these dangerous substances through Chile, to the city of Vallenar, which uses a road accompanied by dangerous curves. Additionally, these dangerous by-products will be transported in close proximity to various rivers and villages, making it an extremely dangerous method of transport of the substances.

What can be done in the case that a truck with dangerous substances falls into the Santa Juana reservoir?
In case of emergencies, it will be extremely difficult for the necessary vehicles to react quickly to these emergencies.

In the EIA Barrick still contemplates, if they should guard for a period of time dangerous garbage in special tanks!(EIA 1-9) No should it be clear to make all the possible to deposite in a safe way dangerous garbage.?!


Mines above opened sky y acids that contamine the water

In the rocks with gold there is naturally encapsulated arsenic. If you move rock under opened sky and water falls above the rock, solves the water the acid, because itīs very soluble. This is a special problem of mines under opened sky, because of this way of work the rocks are disposed to all showers. To product a ton of mineral are left 5 tons inusable material of rock, that produces arsenic.(EIA 2-9) The company proposes a handling plan of the acid water (EIA 2-20, 21) but we still see many dangers for the quality of water. In one hand because they not care about the acids that will be produced in the hole of the mine, in the other hand the EIA not informes about the groundwater, neither about the time after the closing of the mine. The water remains sometimes up to hundred years acid.

And who will control it after the closure of the mine? If arsenic contaminates the water, who will buy the grapes and olives of the valley?




 designed by noscom.de