Marlin Mine

Last updated

The Marlin Mine is a gold mine in Guatemala owned by Montana Exploradora de Guatemala, Montana, which is a subsidiary of Canadian company Goldcorp.

Contents

Location and description

The Marlin gold mine site is located at 15°14′05″N91°41′22″W / 15.234852°N 91.689418°W / 15.234852; -91.689418 (Marlin Mine) and spans the boundary of two municipalities in Guatemala – San Miguel Ixtahuacán (San Miguel) and Sipacapa, both within the San Marcos Department – which is 300 kilometers (186 miles) by paved and gravel road from Guatemala City. The elevation of the site ranges from 1,800 to 2,300 (1.12 to 1.43 mi) meters above sea level.

The ore body and approximately 87% of the mine property are in the municipality of San Miguel.

Exploration and mining history

The Marlin deposit was discovered through regional exploration in 1998 by Montana Exploradora, S.A. and was later purchased by Francisco Gold Corporation in 2000. In 2002, Francisco merged into Glamis Gold and the mine was brought into production in 2005 by Glamis. The following year, Glamis was acquired by Goldcorp.

Operations and economic impact

Marlin has both open-pit and underground mining operations, with identified reserves to support production until 2017 and adjacent discoveries are expected to allow longer term operation. [1] [2] The ore is first crushed and then milled, then cyanide leached in tanks. The gold and silver bearing solution is then processed in a refinery on-site and then smelted to produce doré bars.

Over 50 percent of the 1,900 people working at the mine were local residents at their time of hiring, and 98 percent were Guatemalan residents. In 2008, the Marlin operation spent more than $90 million in Guatemala on supplies and services, and paid over $20 million in taxes. Marlin’s 2011 profits were $607 million. Of that, only one-half of one percent went to the Guatemalan government. [3]

Environmental management and social impact

Environmental and monitoring management activities

The Marlin environmental monitoring program describes air quality, ambient noise, aquatic biology, surface water quality, and ground water quality. As of the spring of 2010 the company which owns Marlin mine claims that it has not discharged any water to the local rivers or water sources. This is in direct contradiction with reports from local indigenous people. The Maya people report the poisoning of their water sources, livestock dying after drinking well water, and the destruction of their ancestral land. The company reports that water from the operations is treated and contained in a tailings pond designed to international standards and 89% is recycled in the operation. Water quality in local streams and groundwater is regularly monitored by Goldcorp, an independent Community Environmental Monitoring Association (AMAC), and two separate Guatemalan government ministries. As of the spring of 2010, no negative water samples had been found. [3] Of course, this is also in direct contradiction with on-site footage of the waters and the reports of the people who live in the area. [4]

Third-party environmental and health impact studies

In May 2010, the organization Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) released a study carried out with the University of Michigan on metals levels of blood and urine in a self-selected sample of 18 area residents and 5 Marlin mine workers; as well sampling four river locations and five drinking water sources. [5] The study was carried out independent of the company, under an initiative of the Archbishop of Guatemala, Cardinal Rodolfo Quezada Toruño. The study, characterizing its findings as “qualitative, preliminary and descriptive”, reported that, on average, individuals residing closest to the mine had higher levels of certain metals when compared to those living further away. The study emphasized that,

given that the Marlin mine is a relatively new operation, the negative impacts of the mine on human health and ecosystem quality in the region have the potential to increase in the coming years and last for decades, as commonly occur near other mining facilities worldwide.

The study found levels of some other metals were elevated in comparison to established normal ranges in many individuals, but without any apparent relationship to proximity to the mine or occupation.

The PHR study also found that “none of the levels in the samples exceed those considered acceptable by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and by widely recognized scientific standards”. The study also found no correlation between any metal levels and occupation, no correlations between metal levels and reported health, and no correlation between reported health and proximity to the mine. The PHR study also reported that several metals (aluminum, manganese and cobalt) were found at higher levels in the river water and sediment sites directly below the mine when compared to sites elsewhere – these were not the metals showing higher levels in the residents closer to the mine. In the river water samples, all metals were within "US benchmarks" with the exception of aluminum levels in one sample.

The authors recommended a more comprehensive study of the area human health and ecology. However, the authors did not refer to the baseline study data which showed river water to have naturally high metals levels prior to the existence of the mining operation. [6]

All drinking water sampled in the PHR study had metals content below limits set in the US EPA’s National Drinking Water Regulations (the highest arsenic level was found in the commercial bottled water sample). Soil sample metals levels were also "within background ranges", and river sediment samples all showed metals contents "lower than US regulatory benchmark values".

Social impact and community relations

A year prior to the Goldcorp takeover, residents of Sipacapa filed a complaint against Glamis with the Office of the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman (CAO) of the World Bank Group, alleging that the Marlin mine was "developed without adequate consultation and in violation of the rights of indigenous people". [7] The CAO found that Glamis had "interacted extensively" with local communities. However, it also found that "public disclosures prepared by the company – including the ESIA (environmental and social impact assessment) – were highly technical and did not at the time have sufficient information to allow for an informed view of the likely adverse impacts of the project". The report also stated "As a result of an aggressive and at times factually unfounded campaign focused against the project, some people – predominantly in Sipacapa – believe that these risks have not been adequately monitored, managed or mitigated." The report notes that the campaign against the project raised considerable fear and apprehension amongst local people about the possible negative impacts of mining, has contributed to local tensions, and has not always been a reasonable source of information for local people. [7] The report concluded that environmental risks were adequately managed, and recommended enhanced participation by local people in "forward-looking decisions related to future exploration, royalties, and distribution of benefits", and that a "high level" delegation from the mine and a group of people representing the complainants and people of Sipacapa "should consider engaging in dialogue to establish acceptable next steps towards achieving resolution of this dispute".

Similar to the 2005 CAO's report, the 2010 PHR study noted that “it was clear during our visit that many area residents suffer from psychosocial stress and that much distrust and miscommunication exists amongst and between the various stakeholders – area residents, non-governmental organizations, representatives of the Marlin mine, government officials.” Rather than resulting from miscommunication local residents may be experiencing "stress" as a result of a company hired paramilitary group shooting a local woman in the head because she refused to sell her land to the company. Or the other woman whose brother was burned to death in front of her because she refused to sell her land to the mine. Or it may simply be because day-and-night explosions shake the foundations of their homes, leaving huge cracks in the walls.

One source of controversy and much of the basis for claims of lack of adherence to indigenous rights stems from the results of a 2005 referendum in which approximately 98% of 2,500 participants (out of 14,000 residents, although reported as representing 44.3% of the voting population [8] ) in the Sipacapa municipality voted to reject mining in the area (no referendum has been held in San Miguel). The referendum in Sipacapa was preceded by 13 "community consultations", in which 11 communities signed acts stating their position against mining, and one community signed an act in support of mining (one other abstained from taking a position). Although the Sipacapa municipal government initially supported the idea of the consultations, it withdrew its support during the process. The time period leading up to the referendum was characterized in the CAO report as marked by confusing, contradictory and often inaccurate information on the impacts of mining, as well as reports of voter intimidation. [7] [9] The validity of the referendum was challenged in court, and in 2007, the Guatemalan court found that the "consulta" was legal as a "mechanism of expression for the populace", but was not binding in Guatemalan law. [8]

In 2009, the company sponsored an independent Human Rights Impact Assessment of the Marlin Mine. This assessment was carried out by On Common Ground Consultants Inc., under the oversight of a steering committee composed of a representative of a socially responsible shareholders group, a representative from Guatemala, and a company representative. Goldcorp has made the report, released on May 17, 2010, publicly available via the web-site set-up for the assessment www.hria-guatemala.com. The report notes that many locally active NGO's opposed the study.

External calls for suspension or closure of the mine

In February 2010, the Committee of Experts of the International Labour Organization (ILO) of the United Nations also called for the suspension of the Marlin Mine. "The Committee requests the Government to neither grant nor renew any licence for the exploration and exploitation of natural resources as referred to in Article 15 of the Convention while the participation and consultation provided for by the Convention are not being carried out, and to provide information in this regard". [10] The confusion over the environmental situation, and the use of suppositions of environmental harm being used to bolster the case for closure of the mine are evident in the ILO report. The ILO stated that in part its decision was based the issue of potential environmental hazards raised in the 2005 CAO report [7] but made no mention of the fact that the CAO report found that all hazards were adequately managed. The ILO also cited a statement in the CAO report that cyanide leaching, used by Marlin, had been banned in several jurisdictions – however, this is not actually stated in the CAO report.

On May 20, 2010, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, an independent body of the Organization of American States (OAS), granted "precautionary measures" for the members of 18 Maya indigenous communities surrounding the Marlin Mine. [11] The commission has the authority to grant precautionary measures in situations where it is persuaded that urgent action is necessary while it considers a pending case – but,

the granting of such measures and their adoption by the State shall not constitute a prejudgment on the violation.

In its ruling, the commission called on the government of Guatemala to suspend operation of the mine and “other activities related to the concession granted to the company".

The basis of precautionary measures is the petitioners' claim that a number of water wells and springs have dried up in the area of the mine, and that metals present in the water as a result of the mining activity have had harmful effects on the health of members of the community. This is all despite the May 2010 PHR report finding that all drinking water samples were within US EPA standards, and all river samples were within "US Benchmarks" with the exception of elevated aluminum in one sample.

On June 23, 2010, the Guatemalan government announced that it would initiate the administrative process to suspend operations at the Marlin mine. The government is assuring residents that there is no evidence that the community water supplies are contaminated and that they are fit for human consumption. The government also stated that an assessment by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare did not detect any disease linked to suspected contamination produced by the Marlin Mine. An IACHR delegation was scheduled to visit the site in mid-July 2010. [12] [13]

Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú called on the government of Guatemala to follow the ruling by IACHR, saying that president Alvaro Colom should not "judge the situation", but should simply act on the IACHR ruling. [14]

In December 2011, IACHR announced that based on information presented by the state and the petitioners, it was revising the precautionary measure to no longer call for the closure of the mine. The revised precautionary measure requests that the State ensure that the 18 communities have access to potable water than can be used for human consumption. [11] [15] This is consistent with evidence that there are some elevated metals levels in local water supplies but that these levels are naturally occurring and existed before the construction of the mine. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mining</span> Extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth

Mining is the extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agricultural processes, or feasibly created artificially in a laboratory or factory. Ores recovered by mining include metals, coal, oil shale, gemstones, limestone, chalk, dimension stone, rock salt, potash, gravel, and clay. The ore must be a rock or mineral that contains valuable constituent, can be extracted or mined and sold for profit. Mining in a wider sense includes extraction of any non-renewable resource such as petroleum, natural gas, or even water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrick Gold</span> Canadian mining company

Barrick Gold Corporation is a mining company that produces gold and copper with 16 operating sites in 13 countries. It is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It has mining operations in Argentina, Canada, Chile, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Mali, Papua New Guinea, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, the United States and Zambia. In 2019, it produced 5.5 million ounces of gold at all-in sustaining costs of $894/ounce and 432 million pounds of copper at all-in sustaining costs of $2.52/pound. As of 31 December 2019, the company had 71 million ounces of proven and probable gold reserves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold mining</span> Process of extracting gold from the ground

Gold mining is the extraction of gold by mining.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yanacocha</span> Peru gold mine

Yanacocha is a gold mine in the Cajamarca region of the Northern Highlands of Peru. Considered to be the fourth largest gold mine in the world, it produced 0.97 million ounces of gold in 2014. The 251-square kilometer open pit mine is situated about 30 kilometers north of Cajamarca, in high pampa, straddling the watershed. The operation is a joint venture between Newmont Goldcorp, Compañia de Minas Buenaventura (43.65%) and the International Finance Corporation (5%).

Goldcorp Inc. was a gold production company headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The company stood among the largest gold producers in the world, employed about 15,800 people worldwide, engaged in gold mining and related activities including exploration, extraction, processing and reclamation. Goldcorp’s operating assets included eleven mines in North and South America.

San Miguel Ixtahuacán is a municipality in the San Marcos department of Guatemala. It comprises 19 villages, and the population is about 39,000 people. The majority of people are ethnically Maya- Mam and speak the Mam and Spanish languages. Most inhabitants subsist by farming, growing crops of corn, beans, vegetables and fruits, irrigated from the Cuilco River and its tributaries.

Sipacapa is a municipality in the San Marcos department, situated in the Western highlands of Guatemala. Sipacapa's population of around 14,000 is spread among 14 village communities, scattered over mountainous terrain. Sipacapa is considered a linguistic community, as Sipakapense is a Maya language unique to the municipality.

Buyat Bay is small bay on the south coast of Minahassa Peninsula on the north of Sulawesi island of Indonesia. Since 1996, Newmont Mining Corporation under its subsidiary company, PT Newmont Minahasa Raya, has been using the bay as the tailing dumping ground for its gold mining activities. In 2004, local people in the area complained several unusual health problems which further suspected Newmont's for breaching the mining waste level regulation to had contaminated the area with hazardous materials. The Indonesian activist group on environment, WALHI, claimed that Newmont has been dumping 2,000 tonnes of mine waste into the bay daily. A legal case between the government of Indonesia versus one of the company's top executive is still ongoing.

The Marcopper mining disaster is one of the worst mining and environmental disasters in Philippine history. It occurred on March 24, 1996, on the Philippine island of Marinduque, a province of the Philippines located in the Mimaropa region. The disaster led to drastic reforms in the country's mining policy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental effects of mining</span> Environmental problems from uncontrolled mining

Environmental effects of mining can occur at local, regional, and global scales through direct and indirect mining practices. Mining can cause erosion, sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, or the contamination of soil, groundwater, and surface water by chemicals emitted from mining processes. These processes also affect the atmosphere through carbon emissions which contributes to climate change. Some mining methods may have such significant environmental and public health effects that mining companies in some countries are required to follow strict environmental and rehabilitation codes to ensure that the mined area returns to its original state.

Human Rights Impact Assessment is a process for systematically identifying, predicting and responding to the potential human rights impacts of a business operation, capital project, government policy, or trade agreement. It is designed to complement a company or government’s other impact assessment and due diligence processes and to be framed by appropriate international human rights principles and conventions. It is also rooted in the realities of the particular project by incorporating the context within which it will operate from the outset, and by engaging directly with those peoples whose rights may be at risk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tahoe Resources</span> Mining exploration company founded in Vancouver, BC

Tahoe Resources Inc. was a mining company and intermediate precious metals producer with silver and gold mines in Canada, Guatemala and Peru. It was founded in Vancouver, British Columbia by Kevin McArthur, former CEO of Glamis Gold and Goldcorp. Incorporated in British Columbia, Canada, the company's U.S. headquarters is located in Reno, Nevada.

Canadian mining in Latin America and the Caribbean began in the 20th century. Latin America and the Caribbean's vast resources give the region great geopolitical importance, attracting foreign interest for centuries. From the colonial race of European empires, to the multinationals of today's neoliberal capitalist world, this region continues to draw interest. Canada's involvement in Latin America increased dramatically since 1989 with several landmark negotiations and agreements. By 2009, the Canadian larger-company mineral exploration market in this region was valued at US$1.7 billion.

Pueblo Viejo mine is an open-pit gold and silver mine in the Sánchez Ramírez Province of the Dominican Republic where mining operations started in 2012 and expect to cease in 2041. It is the largest gold mine in Latin America and 13th largest gold mine in the world. The mine is run by Pueblo Viejo Dominicana Corporation (PVDC), which is 60% owned by Barrick Gold Corporation and 40% owned by Newmont Corporation.

The Cerro Matoso mine in northwest of Colombia is one of the largest open-pit ferronickel mines in the world. and the largest mine of South America, containing the largest nickel reserve in Colombia. It is operated by Cerro Matoso S.A., a company that was owned by Hanna Company and the Instituto de Fomento Industrial (IFI), then by Shell, Billiton, and then the Anglo-Australian multinational BHP, since 2015 is owned by South32. There have been allegations that the mine's operations have caused heavy metal pollution affecting especially local indigenous Zenu and Afro-Descendant residents. These allegations have been rejected by Cerro Matoso on the basis of the available scientific and medical evidence. In March 2018 a Review Chamber of the Constitutional Court of Colombia ordered Cerro Matoso to pay damages to local communities. This decision was reversed partially in September 2018 by the Plenary Chamber of the Constitutional Court on the basis that it did not comply with constitutional precedent for payment of damages and noting that there was no evidence of a direct correlation between the mining operations and the alleged damages.

The Kanyika mine is an open pit mine which extracts niobium ore from a large deposit located in northern Malawi in the Northern Region, about 250 kilometers north of Lilongwe. It will be the second-largest mining operation in the country, behind the Kayelekera mine. Kanyika represents one of the largest niobium mineral resource in Malawi having estimated resources of 60 million tonnes of ore grading 0.29% niobium metal. The mine is the main project of the Australia-based Globe Metals & Mining Ltd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Polley mine</span> Gold and copper mine in British Columbia, Canada

The Mount Polley mine is a Canadian gold and copper mine located in British Columbia near the towns of Williams Lake, and Likely. It consists of two open-pit sites with an underground mining component and is owned and operated by the Mount Polley Mining Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Imperial Metals. In 2013, the mine produced an output of 38,501,165 pounds (17,463,835 kg) of copper, 45,823 ounces of gold, and 123,999 of silver. The mill commenced operations in 1997 and was closed and placed on care and maintenance in 2019. The company owns 20,113 hectares (201.13 km2) of property near Quesnel Lake and Polley Lake where it has mining leases and operations on 2,007 hectares (20.07 km2) and mineral claims on 18,106 hectares (181.06 km2). Mineral concentrate is delivered by truck to the Port of Vancouver.

The mineral industry of Guatemala includes:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental impact of iron ore mining</span>

The environmental impact of Iron ore mining in all its phases from excavation to beneficiation to transportation may have detrimental effects on air quality, water quality, and biological species. This is as a result of the release of the large scale of iron ore tailings into the environment which are harmful to both animals and humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Escobal mine protests</span> Escobal mine protests

The Escobal mine protests are a series of political protests opposing the Escobal mine, a large silver mine developed by Canadian mining company Tahoe Resources in San Rafael Las Flores, Guatemala. Since 2009 various community groups have advocated against the mine, citing risks of environmental damage and the land sovereignty rights of the indigenous Xinca people. These groups have employed nonviolent protest tactics such as blockading mine property and voting in municipal referendums, which found that over 95% of residents in surrounding communities opposed the Escobal mine.

References

  1. ↑ "Reserves & Resources". 26 February 2007. Archived from the original on 26 February 2007. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  2. ↑ "Goldcorp fact sheet" (PDF). 5 July 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Environmental and social performance annual monitoring report" (PDF). 23 November 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 November 2010. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  4. ↑ "Gold Fever a sobering eye-opener about modern Vancouver conquistadors in Guatemala". www.straight.com. 4 July 2013.
  5. ↑ Toxic Metals and Indigenous Peoples Near the Marlin Mine in Western Guatemala Potential Exposures and Impacts on Health, Niladri Basu, MSc, PhD and Howard Hu, MD, MPH, ScD, with the assistance of the International Forensic Program of Physicians for Human Rights, May 2010
  6. 1 2 Human Rights Assessment of Goldcorp's Marlin Mine, May 2010: Appendix H: External Environmental Review of the Marlin Mine, prepared by KPC Consulting for the HRA, March 2010 [ dead link ]
  7. 1 2 3 4 Assessment of a Complaint in Relation to Marlin Mine, Guatemala
  8. 1 2 Imai, Shin (14 September 2007). "Breaching Indigenous Law: Canadian Mining in Guatemala". Rochester, NY.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 November 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ↑ International Labour Conference, 98th Session, 2009
  11. 1 2 Precautionary Measures Granted by the Commission during 2010 [ dead link ]
  12. ↑ "Guatemala says to suspend Goldcorp's Marlin mine". Mining Weekly. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  13. ↑ Goldcorp Guatemalan Government Responds To Marlin Mine Suspension Request, June 24, 2010
  14. ↑ "Menchú presenta demanda de cierre de mina Marlin". Archived from the original on 26 August 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2010.
  15. ↑ Goldcorp IACHR modifies Marlin Mine precautionary measures; Request to suspend mine operations removed [ dead link ]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.