Locals say no to mine's extension of tailings pond

Residents of Simonstown Lane in Navan are determined to oppose plans by Tara Mines for a four-metre high extension to its tailings pond, which is just metres from some of the houses on the lane. Members of Residents Against Tailings Expansion (RATE) say they would not be opposed to a lateral extension to the pond, which would see it extended over a greater area, but they are implacably opposed to increasing the height of the pond, which they say already towers over the lane. However, Boliden Tara Mines, says that a vertical extension is the preferred option and similar facilities are working well around the world, but they are willing to meet with residents if they have any concerns. Tailings from the mine are the waste materials left over after the process of separating the valuable fraction from the worthless fraction of an ore. The company has applied for a four metre vertical extension to the pond which would deliver an additional 5.6 million cubic metres of storage capacity. The company says the extension is for the purpose of extending the life of the mine and would be constructed on the footprint of the existing facility, which occupies an area of 170 hectares. Brendan Brady, a spokeman for RATE, said that residents in the area had been told back in 1999 when there was a previous extension, that it would be the last. "None of the residents are against an extension, we just don't want it raised vertically. They have the land which would allow them extend it outwards, rather than upwards," he said. "There is this 450-acre man-made lake towering above our homes and, although we have been told it is safe, we are concerned about what could happen if it ever bursts," he said. Mr Brady said that a tailings pond owned by Boliden in southern Spain burst in 1998, leading to a major environmental disaster. The tailings pond failure at the Boliden Apirsa mining operations in southern Spain captured the attention of the industry and the public. Both the immediate effects and the potential long-term effects of the accident were considered severe. On the night of 24th/25th April 1998, a 600m section of the downstream dike of the tailings pond at the Boliden Apirsa mining operation 35kn of Seville suddenly slid up to 60m. The slide created a breach in the dam through which water and tailings were flushed out. In a few hours, between a million and two million tonnes of acid and metal-rich water flowed out of the dam and onto the surrounding land. Mr Brady said members of RATE would be objecting to the planning application. They believed a project as big as this should be dealt with by An Bord Pleanala. "Residents are very worried. We do not want this tailings pond getting any taller, we would prefer to see it capped off where it is and extended laterally," he said. The Mayor of Navan, Cllr Joe Reilly, said that while recognising the importance of Boliden Tara Mines as a major Navan employer, a number of councillors had raised the issue of the tailings pond, the extent of it and the money in funds for its upkeep and maintenance after the life of the mine. "Any extension to the pond will have to ensure that there is sufficient bond in place to look after any future care and maintenance," he said. A spokesperson for Boliden Tara Mines said that they had consulted with residents and assured them of the safety of the Simonstown tailings pond. He pointed out that the company had other tailings ponds around the world that are working well and there was no need for concern. However, he said the Swedish-owned company was willing to meet with residents to discuss their concerns. Meanwhile, the company has indicated that it does not walk away from closed tailings ponds and its track record is unique because the company has undertaken so many decommissionings. Decommissioning involves the removal of safety risks and structures, remediation of contaminated soil, landscaping and reclamation such as re-vegetation. Monitoring goes on at the Tara Mines tailings pond all year, including weekly and monthly monitoring by the company itself, as well as unannounced audits by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The company pointed out that Boliden never walks away from a closed mine and keeps its decommissioned ponds under review.