Cyanide-Laced Water Spill in Guyana Raises Alarm Among Environmentalists and Indian Rights Activists

A catastrophic spill of 84.5 trillion gallons of cyanide-laced water from a Canadian-US-owned mining operation has poisoned two rivers in Guyana, sparking widespread concern among environmentalists and Indian rights activists. The disaster, which occurred on August 19 when a mine tailings dam breached, has left a trail of dead fish, wild hogs, bush cows, and birds in its wake. The Guyanese government has responded by declaring the area an environmental disaster zone and passing a resolution to close the operations of Omai Gold Mines Limited, a joint venture owned by Cambior of Canada and Golden Star of the United States.

Key Takeaways:

• The cyanide spill was released over a period of 100 hours, beginning late Saturday, August 19, and contained at 3 a.m. Thursday, August 24.
• The spill polluted two rivers, the Omai and Essequibo, which are the main sources of water and protein for residents in Guyana.
• The National Committee for Defense Against Omai stated that the cyanide concentrations in the Essequibo River immediately downstream of the Omai River never exceeded 0.15 mg/l.
• Regional Chairman Brentnol Archer reported that sample tests in the Essequibo showed that the cyanide content in the water was around 0.4 ppm, compared to 0.002 ppm the previous day.
• The Venezuelan government holds a territorial claim for Guyana's region west of the Essequibo River and has called on the government of Guyana to take responsibility for the environmental disaster.
• Omai Gold Mines Limited estimates that some 84.5 trillion gallons of tailings water were released, with a typical tailings pond holding 25-30 milligrams per liter (parts per million) of total cyanide.
• The spill left a trail of dead animals, including fish, wild hogs, and birds, in the affected area.

Statistics:

• 84.5 trillion gallons: the estimated amount of cyanide-laced water released from the mine tailings dam.
• 100 hours: the duration of the spill, beginning late Saturday, August 19.
• 25-30 milligrams per liter (parts per million): the typical amount of total cyanide in the form of metal cyanide complexes and free cyanide held by the tailings pond.
• 0.15 mg/l: the maximum concentration of cyanide in the Essequibo River immediately downstream of the Omai River.
• 0.4 ppm: the concentration of cyanide in the Essequibo River reported by Regional Chairman Brentnol Archer.

Sources:

• The National Committee for Defense Against Omai
• Omai Gold Mines Limited
• Guyana's Parliament
• Venezuelan Foreign Ministry
• Starbroek News (Georgetown newspaper)
• The Associated Press (With reporting by Robb Stewart in Toronto and Alberto Garnica in Caracas)