Previously, locals found dead fish in the lake following a QMM spill in December 2018, which Madagascar’s National Centre for Environmental Research (CNRE) investigated weeks later in 2019.
In Anosy’s slide presentation to the public, CNRE suggested the fish deaths may have been due to the presence of “brown water” that overflowed from the mine’s “artificial swamp” during high rainfall events. Its researchers say acidification in the swamp is most likely to cause fish kills.
The need to monitor and interpret changes in acidification – as measured by pH – was raised by experts before and after mining began, but has not been fully explored and reported. The pH of water affects the behavior of heavy metals in water and affects the environment.
harmful
In 2019, CNRE concluded that “acidification and metal accumulation in QMM basins require more in-depth research” and called for “rigorous monitoring of heavy metal concentration levels in mining basins that may affect the natural environment”.
But QMM claimed the 2018 dead fish incident was not related to the mine, and made a similar claim today. But dead fish have been identified following two incidents of overflowing QMM mines. Maybe it’s a coincidence.
Despite repeated requests from the local community and international civil society, the CNRE report has never been published or made available locally.
Since the start of QMM operations, local villagers have become increasingly concerned about local water quality, and these anxieties have been supported by a series of independent research This indicates that the mine is adversely affecting water quality in the area.
promise
The studies found elevated levels of uranium and lead in the waters downstream of mines—sometimes 50 and 40 times higher, respectively, than the World Health Organization guidelines for safe drinking water.
Dr. Stella Swanson, an internationally recognized radioactivity expert, has demonstrated that the QMM pond water entering the QMM sedimentation tank contains high levels of radionuclides. This treated water is released into the environment through sedimentation ponds and wetland marshes. Unfortunately, Madagascar currently has no legal restrictions on the release of uranium into the environment.
The water around Mandena is used for drinking and domestic use. It also provides fodder for Lake Lanierano, which in turn provides drinking water for the residents of Fort Dauphin. Therefore, civil society actors believe that the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for safe drinking water must be applied.
In fact, QMM did commit to using World Health Organization and Canadian water quality standards in its 2001 Environmental Management Plan.
transparency
There is also insufficient communication around the tailings dam failure event.Local communities complained that QMM only announced that they were discharging 1 million cubic meters of mine wastewater back They have already started.
QMM maintains that there are no environmental impacts or risks. The company also claims that a mid-term study by its outside supplier JBS&G showed there was no reason to worry.
However, the state’s investigation is still ongoing, and no public conclusions have been made. JBS&G’s interim report itself is far from conclusive.
One of them states: “All findings, conclusions and recommendations should be reviewed by qualified personnel with experience in environmental investigations before being used for any other purpose (JBS&G 2021).”
Dr. Swanson researched three JBS&G interim reports and released one memo with suggestions This raises questions about whether the JBS&G study can provide what is needed to determine QMM mine impacts and produce credible results.
Civil society organisation Publish What You Pay (Madagascar and UK) and the Andrew Lees Trust have been advocating for Rio Tinto to immediately provide safe drinking water to affected communities, safely manage QMM mine process water and increase transparency in mine operations.
Continued failure to adequately respond to concerns raised by local communities and civil society means that after a decade of operations, QMM is still unable to meet the needs and address the concerns of those affected by mine operations.
right of reply
Statement from QMM provided to ecologist “QMM has made good progress in water management and has developed a water management plan to minimise water discharge and impact on the receiving environment.
“Given Madagascar’s specific geographic challenges and the country’s increasing exposure to climate extremes, QMM has taken a new step in implementing this strategy. A process water treatment unit is currently under construction to improve water management and manage similar exceptional circumstances in the future may appear.
“In 2019, we commissioned JBS&G to conduct an independent study of radiation and water quality around our mines. The study will be completed in the second quarter of 2022 and will then be cross-examined by Madagascar regulators.”
The statement added: “From the analysis received to date – two rounds of investigation have been carried out – there is no result that warrants immediate action. [needed] to prevent any human harm to the community. Once completed and cross-checked by regulators, the full results will be disclosed, shared and discussed with the community and key stakeholders. “
The statement also talked about ecologist. “Water overflow: In February 2022, Dauphinborg experienced very high rainfall, which may have affected the natural environment.
“We have investigated a possible link between two community-reported water quality issues and the QMM one-time overflow event that occurred on February 17. The findings of the investigation indicate that the event had no impact on the receiving environment. The full results and in The conclusions will be shared and discussed when further investigations by regulators are completed.”
The company also addressed concerns about dead fish. “Heavy rains in February 2022 put pressure on QMM’s water supply system. To avoid any uncontrolled overflow into the natural environment, and under the authority of the regulator, QMM began a controlled release of water on March 8. This is Publicly announced before. The launch begins.
“Daily water quality monitoring has revealed no anomalies that could have affected the receiving environment. QMM is conducting an investigation to determine any causal relationship between the release process and the dead fish incident, but has noted that no dead fish were found at the QMM location. Release, In a river that doesn’t let water.”
“QMM is contributing to a program to provide potable water to three communities near QMM’s mines, as well as donating to emergency assistance following the hurricane,” the statement concluded.
this author
Yvonne Orengo yes director Andrews Trust (ALT UK) is a British charity established after the death of Andrew Lees in 1994. She lives and works in southern Madagascar developing social and environmental plans and has followed the development of the Rio Tinto/QMM mine for over 26 years.
