 |
|
|
For immediate release,
Dec. 17, 2001 Federal records show at least 23 transportation-related spills of cyanide in the U.S. in recent years, despite claims by the owner of the Crandon mine that such spills have never occurred in this country. (See chart below.) A citizen's group reviewed hazardous materials spills that were reported to the federal Emergency Release Notification System for the years 1987-1997. "Our research proves that the claims that there have never been any transportation-related spills of sodium cyanide are untrue," said Dave Blouin, Research Coordinator for the Mining Impact Coalition of Wisconsin. Nicolet Minerals Company (NMC), the owner of the proposed Northern Wisconsin mine, intends to use 7 to 18 tons of cyanide per month to process ore at the mine and to dispose of cyanide wastes on-site, near the headwaters of the Wolf River. Environmental groups and some local governments, tribes and unions oppose the use of cyanide at the site and other potential metallic mines elsewhere in northern Wisconsin, noting that there are less toxic alternative chemicals for processing the ore. "NMC has repeatedly exaggerated the safety of the use of cyanide in mining during its campaign to defeat Senate Bill 160, a bill to ban the use of cyanide that has already passed the state Senate," Blouin said, "Now we find out that NMC hasn’t told the truth about the safety of shipping cyanide on our highways and railroads." In materials distributed to legislators earlier this year, NMC stated, "There is no recorded spill or release of cyanide during its transportation in the United States." An NMC spokesperson was quoted in a July 31, 2001 Green Bay Press Gazette article as saying, "Even though there have been accidents where trucks slipped off the road, there’s been no environmental release of cyanide from a transportation accident ? none." "NMC has made several misleading and false statements in its efforts to defeat the cyanide ban and other environmental bills ," continued Blouin. "NMC has repeatedly bent the truth and should no longer be considered a credible or informed source of data on this important public safety issue." Environmental groups challenged other claims by the mining company: * NMC says that there are no proven alternatives to cyanide in mining. "Our research shows that vast majority of copper or zinc mines in the U.S. do not use cyanide at all. And at least three mines in Canada are processing or have processed ores similar to ores at the proposed Crandon mine without using cyanide." said Blouin. * NMC claims that no mine using the same process proposed for the Crandon mine (froth flotation) has ever caused an environmental incident. But in 1994, the EPA reported that Asarco’s Black Cloud mine in Colorado-- while using the flotation process ? consistently exceeded limits for cyanide with discharges that were shown to be toxic to aquatic life. Most other cyanide accidents at mines have involved transportation or waste storage, regardless of the ore processing method. * NMC states that 50 companies use cyanide in Wisconsin. "NMC's statement is highly misleading. The number of companies cited is inflated by including chemical wholesalers, which sell cyanide but not use it, such as Aldrich Chemical of Milwaukee. Only three Wisconsin companies reported releases of waste cyanide or cyanide compounds to WDNR in 2000. The three companies accounted for a total of 1,132 lbs., or less than 1 ton of cyanide wastes last year," said Blouin. "While the total amount of cyanide wastes NMC will produce in any given year is unclear, NMC expects to use huge amounts of sodium cyanide: between 84 and 216 tons each year. "Currently, cyanide is not being used by industries in Northern Wisconsin, where the tourism industry depends on clean water. We don't need to bring up to 200 tons of cyanide a year into the Northwoods, where there are fewer HazMat teams trained to clean up a spill," said Zoltan Grossman of the Wolf Watershed Educational Project. "There are already enough public concerns about the safety and security of hazardous waste transportation to consider adding even more cyanide shipments on our roads. If the company claims to not even know about previous cyanide spills around the country, how competent and trustworthy is it bring cyanide into our precious Northwoods?" How to support SB 160 (No Cyanide in Mining) and SB 271 (No Special
Treatment for Mining Wastes): RELATED LINKS:
|