MiAmbiente Dismisses Environmental Threat from the Mine in Donoso

President José Raúl Mulino assured that the Ministry of Environment (MiAmbiente), headed by Juan Carlos Navarro, that at this time there is no risk of an environmental threat in the mine operated by First Quantum, located in the district of Donoso, province of Colón.  Mulino revealed that MiAmbiente carried out an inspection and that it did not reveal any risk of possible contamination, however, he did affirm that there is a maintenance plan that is expected to be approved in January.  The president said that the Punta Rincón port, used by the mine for its operations, is guarded by “drug boatmen,” who, according to Mulino, have taken over the place under the pretext that the dock is not used “for the purposes of the mine.” “If we are going to take out that material, it has to be by boat.”  Mulino’s statements come after the Technical Committee for Mine Closure of the Panamanian Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Panama ‘Worth More Without Mining Movement’ issued an alert about critical risks of internal erosion on the north side of the mine’s tailings pit.  For its part, First Quantum, through its subsidiary Cobre Panamá, highlighted that, since the cessation of operations more than a year ago, it has presented a preservation plan designed to reinforce the safety of the mine and comply with environmental standards.  However, the company stressed that the implementation of these measures depends on government approval. It also indicated that, in order to finance these actions, it is necessary to process the copper concentrate extracted during the concession period.