Water Restrictions Imposed After Mining Spill Turns Mexico River Orange
Published on Monday, August 11, 2014
Water Restrictions Imposed After Mining Spill Turns Mexico River Orange
Residents told to avoid any contact with water
by Max Ocean, editorial intern
(Credit: Twitter/@betoeliasm)
Officials in Mexico imposed water restrictions on towns and cities along a river in the state of Sonora on Sunday following a spill late last week of around 10 million gallons of contaminated wastewater containing sulfuric acid from mining operations in the north of the country.
Local media and residents reported the river turning a bright orange, and fish and livestock dying from the contamination.
The wastewater came from the Buenavista copper mine in Cananea, Mexico, situated only about 25 miles from the U.S. border, and contaminated the Bacanuchi River, a tributary of the Sonora River. The spill affects seven different municipalities, including the state capital of Hermosillo, which has a population of nearly 800,000 people, although the river is not a major water source for the capital.
PROFEPA, Mexico's federal agency charged with environmental protection, is monitoring water quality at multiple points along the river and has already ordered that the company, Buenavista del Cobre, part of the mining giant Grupo Mexico, provide "full remediation" for the spill.
More:
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/08/11/water-restrictions-imposed-after-mining-spill-turns-mexico-river-orange
