As heavy rains continue to batter Chile, causing widespread damage and cutting off areas of the country, one community is now dealing with the aftermath of a mining tailings dam rupture.
The tailings dam belonging to copper miner Las Cenizas in central Chile began overflowing overnight on June 13 due to the heavy rains. This has put nearby water sources, including the La Ligua river, at risk of “adverse effects,” according to Chile’s environmental agency SMA.
“Sediment from the tailing was dragged through creeks and fell on some houses. This has been very worrying for the community,” said Victor Donoso, the mayor of Cabildo. “Nobody likes living with a tailing dam right behind them.”
Cabildo is an agricultural area known for producing avocados, and many residents are concerned about the impact the tailings overflow will have on their livelihoods. Citizens have expressed their worries in meetings with government officials and representatives from the mining company, which was working to rebuild the containment wall that collapsed.
“I recognize there were some errors in our management,” Andres Monarde, operations manager for Las Cenizas, told residents. “But let’s take a step forward together.”
A formal complaint has been sent to the environmental regulator to assess the impact the overflow has had on agriculture, houses and water sources in the area.
“The little I used to water my fruit trees, fill the pond, the avocados, the tailing burst and it got contaminated,” said local farmer Jose Olmos. “The tailing brings heavy metals, like lead arsenic and a lot of metals. This is irreversible, I won’t be able to use it anymore.”
Chile is the world’s largest copper producer, and incidents like this highlight the environmental risks posed by mining operations, especially in the face of extreme weather events exacerbated by climate change.