Abstract
This chapter explores the case of one of the worst environmental disasters in the mining industry of recent times: the release of a copper sulphate acid solution into the environment by a mining company near the village of Cananea, in the Northern Mexican state of Sonora. The release was contrary to a pre-established legal obligation to prevent such activity. According to the information of the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (PROFEPA), several violations of the company’s environmental obligations were documented in regards to the processing, storage, and management of the copper sulphate acid solution. In addition to the environmental destruction caused, further justice issues are discussed in relation to handling of the incident.
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Notes
- 1.
See http://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/index.htm for the exact text of the Article and other legislation.
- 2.
A typical problem with these crimes is substance identification, which can cause mistakes during the investigation. Knowledge of science is required, particularly chemistry (inorganic, analytical, and, in this case, knowledge of solutions) to determine what a substance is, since, unlike the wording found in the criminal code, in reality pure substances are not normally released into the environment, but they are always solutions or mixtures. Many times the substances are referred to by their commercial names, common names, or names according to the investigation and development file. In this case, the substance was called by several names, among the most common were: solution of acidified copper sulphate, leachate of acidified copper sulphate, fertilised and leachate copper solution. It is equally important to note that, even though it is a chemical name, the solution was not in a pure state as if it had been obtained from a controlled reaction. On the contrary, it came from an uncontrolled chemical process where the components leach what is emerging from rocks and raw minerals. The composition is not fixed or constant. This is the reason this solution contains varying compounds, among those metals, as well as water and sediment (Personal experience of the author whilst working at PROFEPA ).
- 3.
According to information published by PODER (Project on Organising Development, Education and Research), corresponding to file No. PFPA/3.2/2C.27.5/00003-14 during the Inspection Act No PFPA/3.2/2C.27.5/00040-2014-AI-SON’, on 19 August 2014, there were illegal acts which did not comply with what is established in the Preventative Report and the Mexican official standard NOM-159-SEMARNAT-2011: “the construction of roughly built dams 1 and 2 of Tinajas dam 1 are not covered by the preventative report. ‘leaching tailing…’ from 10 May 2013, the construction of western and eastern dams was suggested to increase the acquisition of fertilised solution (including rainwater). … In inspection visits, PROFEPA found that the company built 15 shafts, of which 13 are located far away from the project where the spill happened. Those two which are in the area of influence are 3 and 4 (Campo Frío). The Campo Frío mine exceeds the allowed established analysed limits except in arsenic and zinc, in accordance with the Mexican official standard NOM-127. According to number 5.4.3.4 of NOM-159, if the Campo Frío mine exceeds the limits, then the company should have built two monitoring shafts, one upstream and one downstream: these monitoring shafts had not been built. There are no monitoring shafts in Tinajas dam 1 or in Tinajas tailing … It is shown that the company did not present documents that prove the levels of quality in design, finishings, materials and construction procedures. Number 5.6.1 of NOM-159” (See PODER 2015).
- 4.
Information contained in the Report No PFPA/32.2/2C.27.1/0078-14. Document PFPA/32.5/2C.27.1/1144-14. Confirmation of Order of Temporary Partial Closure, cited by PODER 2015 and transcribed.
- 5.
The typical extraction process of metals from (oxidised) ore is through acid leachate: ‘acid leachate is the most used process to extract copper from oxidised ore. The profitability of this operation is going to be determined by the use of sulphuric acid and the extent of copper extraction. An increase in the acid concentration in leachate solutions is known to drive a higher retrieval of copper, but it also produces a higher acid consumption by species reactive to gangue, which has negative repercussions on the economy of the process.’ (Torres and Ariel 2011).
- 6.
As an example of the acidity of this substance and its danger, ‘the effects found in the toxicity of sulphuric acid are entirely due to the interaction of the H+ ion with the cellular components more than the interaction of the ion (SO4) (IDEAM n.d.). Furthermore, sulphuric acid is a corrosive substance and it causes direct local effects in all bodily tissues even in low concentrations. Any kind of tissue contact with concentrated sulphuric acid causes serious burns and is difficult to heal. Its high reactivity to many compounds makes it dangerous for heat generation, due to the potential of explosion or generating toxic or flammable fumes’.
- 7.
Taken from English version.
- 8.
‘Piping … is the term most used, although frequently in an ambiguous way, to describe the problems associated with the strength of filtration. We define it as the removal process of soil particles under a salient hydraulic gradient, resulting in the formation of a tube from the water outlet. This phenomenon defined is referred to in the literature as retrograde piping, since the process always happens from downstream towards upstream, against the flow of water .’ (Li and Arroyo 2011; see also Ahedo and Sánchez 2003).
- 9.
A failure is understood to be a break in the retaining wall of the dam.
- 10.
The legal definition of damage refers to the mediation of an adverse change in the base state of the environmental recipient, caused by the offending behaviour. In this case, we can see that in pointing out ‘natural conditions’ in their samples days before the event, the authority refers to the condition of water quality without the contribution of leaked substances. That is to say, the base state of the environmental recipient was adversely changed and this was measured. Therefore the damage, for legal purposes, is demonstrated. See the Mexican federal law of environmental responsibility Ley Federal de Responsabilidad Ambiental.
- 11.
The point of agreement is on the proposals made by the Representatives Alfonso Durazo Montaño, Ricardo Mejia Berdeja, and Ricardo Monreal Ávila, as well as Senator Ana Gabriela Guevara Espinoza, all referring to the pollution of the Sonora River and its tributary the Bacanuchi River. The two agreements are, the first, to invalidate the crux of the proposal, and the second, is that the situation should be ‘Archive[d] as a whole and definitely concluded.‘ The document shows that this is done due to the pre-existence of a previous Point of Agreement (See: http://infosen.senado.gob.mx/sgsp/gaceta/62/2/2014-08-20-1/assets/documentos/gaceta_5.pdf), which, in the opinion of the author, does not address the same points raised by Durazo Montaño, Mejía Berdeja, Monreal Ávila, and Guevara Espinoza, so these should not be sent to the archive.
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Bernardino, M.M. (2018). When a Mining Company Releases of Copper Sulphate Acid Solution into the Environment. In: Arroyo-Quiroz, I., Wyatt, T. (eds) Green Crime in Mexico. Palgrave Studies in Green Criminology. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75286-0_14
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