{"id":31531,"date":"2019-07-16T06:35:35","date_gmt":"2019-07-16T06:35:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.agu.org\/landslideblog\/?p=31531"},"modified":"2019-07-16T06:35:35","modified_gmt":"2019-07-16T06:35:35","slug":"cobriza-mine-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.agu.org\/landslideblog\/2019\/07\/16\/cobriza-mine-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Cobriza, Peru: another significant tailings dam failure"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cobriza, Peru: another significant tailings dam failure<\/h4>\n

Another significant tailings dam failure occurred at Cobriza in Peru on 10th July 2019.\u00a0 Cobriza is a copper mine – interestingly, some reports indicate that<\/a> “the concentrator was operated at a rate quite below its capacity due to lack of mine ore and lately (2016 and 2017) due to lack of capacity in the tailings dam<\/strong>“.<\/em>\u00a0 The plant is also subject to a privatisation, originally planned for 2018 but now expected this year.\u00a0 The site is at -12.58, -74.37 if you want to take a look.<\/p>\n

The failure is quite clear in Planet Labs<\/a> images of the site, collected over the last few days.\u00a0 To get an understanding of the site, take a look at this Google Earth image of the mine and the tailings facilities.\u00a0 The view is taken looking towards the west:-<\/p>\n

\"The

A Google Earth image showing the site of the Cobriza mine in Peru. Note the two tailings facilities.<\/p><\/div>\n

.<\/p>\n

The two tailings facilities are larger than they might first appear – the one on the right (which failed last week) is about 500 metres x 300 metres.<\/p>\n

This is a Planet Labs<\/a> image from 9th July 2019, before the failure, with north at the top of the image:-<\/p>\n

\"Satellite

Planet Labs<\/a> PlanetScope image, dated 9th July 2019, showing the Cobriza mine. Image copyright Planet Labs<\/a>, used with permission.<\/p><\/div>\n

.<\/p>\n

I have highlighted two locations.\u00a0 The yellow arrow indicates the tailings facility that underwent failure last week.\u00a0 The red arrow indicates the bed of the river downstream of the site – note that the water was clear when the image was collected.<\/p>\n

The image below, dated 12th July 2019, shows the mine after the failure:-<\/p>\n

\"Cobriza

Planet Labs<\/a> PlanetScope image, dated 12th July 2019, showing the Cobriza mine. Image copyright Planet Labs<\/a>, used with permission.<\/p><\/div>\n

.<\/p>\n

The change in the geometry of the tailings facility is apparent, marking the site of the failure.\u00a0 The water downstream is obviously contaminated.\u00a0 Note that the water upstream of the mine (bottom right side of the image) is still clear (i.e. unpolluted).<\/p>\n

I have provided further detail in the Planet Labs image below:-<\/p>\n

\"Cobriza

Planet Labs<\/a> PlanetScope image, dated 9th July 2019, showing the Cobriza mine. Image copyright Planet Labs<\/a>, used with permission.<\/p><\/div>\n

.<\/p>\n

In this image I have highlighted the breach of the tailings dam with the yellow arrow.\u00a0 The orange arrow indicates clear tailings contamination of the bench around the mine facilities.\u00a0 The red arrow marks the point at which the tailings are entering the channel – note the distinct change in the water colour.<\/p>\n

The escape of the tailings has generated a serious pollution incident in the Rio Mantaro<\/a>.\u00a0 There are fears that a stretch of the river extending for 375 km has been contaminated with cyanide<\/a>.\u00a0 This video on Youtube<\/a> reportedly shows the contamination in the Rio Mantaro:-<\/p>\n