Panama intervenes in old gold mine after landslide threatens water sources

The former Remance gold mine, located in the district of San Francisco, in Veraguas, suffered a landslide during the October 9 earthquake, which moved sediments into nearby water sources. Video capturePanama's Ministry of Environment launched an environmental remediation plan at the former Remance gold mine, located in the province of Veraguas, after the October 9 earthquake triggered a landslide that dragged sediments into nearby water sources. The intervention includes sanitation works, material containment, and possible treatment systems for exposed communities. The institution explained that the emergency occurred at a mining operation abandoned 27 years ago, without a formal closure process, where the seismic movement mobilized materials accumulated over decades. The authorities seek to address microbiological alterations in the water and metal contamination in the soil, through actions coordinated with the ministries of Commerce and Industries and Health. The Ministry of Environment announced a remediation plan to contain the contamination risks at the former mining operation, abandoned 27 years ago without a formal closure process. Video captureThe first phase of the program will focus on the community of La Gorda, in the district of San Francisco, where analyses identified elevated levels of fecal coliforms in the raw water. To reduce these risks, individual sanitation services with septic tanks will be built, intended to improve sanitation conditions and protect the sources used by the population. The works will have an approximate timeline of 50 business days and an investment of 37,930.81 dollars, according to the official statement of October 23. The work will be carried out by Técnicos en Construcciones Generales S. A., under the supervision of the Directorate of Environmental Performance Verification and with support from the Ministry of Health. The second stage involves the containment and remediation of the area affected by the landslide at the former mine, to prevent the continued movement of materials into the surrounding environment. The company Ingeniería Estrella S. A. plans to enter the area on October 24, with the purpose of gathering information and defining the necessary interventions. The communities of La Gorda, Mesillas, and Pato Alto are included in a proposal to install four modular water treatment systems, with an estimated investment of 780,000 dollars. Taken from MiAmbienteIn parallel, MiAmbiente is evaluating a proposal to install four modular water treatment systems in the communities of La Gorda, Mesillas, and Pato Alto. The units would each have the capacity to process 1,500 liters per hour, using electrocoagulation, electroflocculation, filtration, and disinfection to improve supply conditions. The proposal, presented by Corporación Quality Services S. A., contemplates an estimated investment of 780,000 dollars, which includes equipment, solar generation components, installation, and commissioning. It also incorporates monitoring and spare parts for one year, although its implementation will depend on the technical evaluation currently being carried out by the Ministry of Environment. The institution noted that it will maintain the monitoring, evaluation, and technical follow-up work initiated after the earthquake, together with teams from the Ministry of Commerce and Industries. The actions are being carried out in coordination with the Ministry of Health, to address the environmental and health risks identified in the communities near Remance. The former Remance gold operation closed its industrial activities at the end of the 1990s, leaving waste deposits that had been the subject of environmental investigations. Video captureThe Minister of Environment, Juan Carlos Navarro, had warned that mining operations cannot be left abandoned without proper closure and rehabilitation procedures. After the incident became known, he stated that the authorities had to scientifically determine the substances mobilized and establish the necessary measures to contain their effects. The former Remance mine operated industrially until the end of the 1990s and used gold recovery processes that generated waste deposits. Previous scientific investigations identified cyanide and potentially toxic elements in materials from the area, although those precedents do not allow determining the concentrations present after the recent landslide. The Minister of Commerce and Industries, Julio Moltó, noted that the authorities were maintaining technical evaluations of the mine's situation. The official indicated that, with the information available, he had no knowledge of serious conditions related to the water, although he acknowledged the importance of continuing inspections and adopting the corresponding precautions. For its part, the Institute of National Aqueducts and Sewers (IDAAN) reinforced quality controls at the water treatment plants of Santiago and San Francisco de Veraguas. The measure responds to the alert issued by MiAmbiente on October 12, after the landslide caused sediments to be dragged into the Veneno stream. The authorities keep the Veneno stream, a tributary of the Santa María River, under surveillance after the dragging of sediments caused by the landslide at the former Remance mine. CourtesyThis waterway is a tributary of the Santa María River and is located upstream of the intakes used by both water treatment plants. In response to the situation, the IDAAN intensified surveillance of raw and treated water, as well as operational controls aimed at detecting changes that could affect the supply. The entity reported that the evaluations carried out have not identified conditions that compromise the potabilization processes. The analyses of the treated water remain within the values established by Technical Regulation DGNTI-COPANIT 21-2019, which sets the quality criteria applicable to water intended for human consumption. As an additional precaution, the IDAAN incorporated activated carbon into the treatment performed by its plants, as a complement to the usual potabilization procedures. The institution assured that it will continue monitoring the sources and verifying the quality of the supply, while environmental remediation actions advance in the former mining area.