While Monitoring Landslides at the Remance Mine MICI Inspects Cobre Panamá and Rules Out Any Damage.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MICI) reacts and carries out a technical inspection at the Cobre Panamá facilities in Donoso, Colón province, to verify the safety conditions of the mining infrastructure after the earthquake recorded on October 9.  The inspection, carried out on October 13, focused on the Tailings Management Facility and the mine area. During the tour, technical staff examined stability reports, monitoring records, and the response measures implemented after the seismic event.  According to MICI, the technical documentation presented reported stable conditions in the tailings facility, with no displacements or leaks in the inspected pipes. 

The agency indicated that Cobre Panamá remains under the Safe Management Plan, with technical teams responsible for the maintenance and ongoing care of the facilities. The ministry assured that there is no risk, according to the information assessed.  Production at the Cobre Panamá mine has been suspended since November 2023, when the Supreme Court declared the law approving the mining concession contract unconstitutional. Only some processing and export of exposed and rocky material left over from the project, as well as the export of stored copper concentrate, have been authorized. 

Cobre Panamá remains under the Safe Management Plan, with ongoing maintenance and monitoring.

Remance: Pending Inspection and Water Analysis.

The situation is different at the old Remance gold mine, located in the district of San Francisco, province of Veraguas, where the earthquake of October 9 caused a landslide and a spill was reported.  The MICI announced that it will conduct a technical inspection next Monday, October 19, to assess the conditions of the site, an underground mining operation that has been abandoned since 1999.  While the visit is taking place, the institution maintains monitoring of the area and coordinates with the Ministry of Environment (MiAmbiente) and the Ministry of Health (Minsa) the actions related to water quality and care for nearby communities.  Previously, MiAmbiente had reported that technical teams visited the area on October 11 and 12 to collect water samples, which were sent to the Los Canelos laboratory in Divisa to determine the type of contamination.  Environment Minister Juan Carlos Navarro reported that the supply of bottled water was coordinated for residents of La Gorda and other affected communities, while awaiting the results of the analyses.

Background of Pollution in Remance.

The former Remance mine ceased operations in 1999, after a decade of gold mining. However, three mine waste deposits were left exposed to the environment.  A scientific study published in 2022, which examined approximately 10 square kilometers of the area, documented risks associated with the presence of arsenic and copper in soils, sediments, water, and crops intended for human consumption. The investigation identified arsenic concentrations higher than the reference levels used in the assessment and warned of risks to human health from prolonged exposure.  These precedents become relevant after the spill reported following the earthquake, although laboratory results are still needed to establish the extent of the current contamination.  The MICI assured that it will release the results of its inspections as the technical verifications progress and that decisions will be made based on verifiable information.

Clarification note: This information was updated to clarify the headline. The previous headline read: “Following landslides at the Remance mine, MICI inspects Cobre Panamá and rules out any damage.” The headline was changed because the inspection was carried out before the Remance mine landslides were reported.