Heavy metals flowing into stream after collapse in mine waste storage facility in Balıkesir

Photos: Ayvalık Nature Platform, Kaz Mountains İstanbul Solidarity

Click to read the article in Turkish

A waste storage facility belonging to an iron ore mine in Ayvalık district of the northwestern Balıkesir province collapsed yesterday (December 13).

After the collapse, the waste containing heavy metals started to flow into a stream used for irrigation in the region. The stream also feeds the Madra Dam, which is planned to provide drinking water for Ayvalık in the future.

The Bilfer Mining company, which runs the ore mine in Karaayıt village, was reportedly regularly increasing its capacity.

A video of the polluted stream:

Ayvalık'ta Bilfer Demir Cevheri zenginleştirme madeni zehirli atık dağı çöktü. Bu doğa felaketi de sessizlik içerisinde geçiştirilmeye çalışılmasın.

TT eylemine bu etiketle katılalım;
AyvalıktaFELAKET pic.twitter.com/HVqQaREe6q

— Ekoloji Radarı (@EkolojiR) December 13, 2021

Second collapse in a year

This was the second collapse in the same facility in a year. The previous collapse occurred after heavy rainfall in January, also causing heavy metal pollution in the stream.

At the time, the company announced that it had taken precautions by placing concrete blocks around the waste storage area to prevent a similar incident.

Located about 300 meters away from the village, the mine has been operational for 11 years.

Drone footage of the storage area:

#Ayvalık Karaayıt Köyü yakınlarındaki Bilfer Madenciliğe ait demir madeninin bir yılda ikinci kez patlayan zehirle dolu atık deposunun yarattığı çevre katliamının drone görüntüleri.

Sümen altı etmek istiyorlar, paylaşalım herkes görsün bu felaketi! (Bölüm 1)#AyvalıktaFelaket pic.twitter.com/xKjCFa6dgw

— Kazdağları İstanbul Dayanışması (@kazdaglariist) December 13, 2021

Environmental impact assessment

The surface part of the Ayazmant Iron Mine Project has been operational and exempted from the requirement of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for years.

After an application in the last year, the company was granted a positive EIA report for the waste storage facility. A court rejected lawsuits against the report by the Ayvalık Nature Platform and Ayvalık Municipality.

Both the platform and the municipality have been preparing to file an appeal with the Council of State, the country's top administrative court.

"It should be shut down"

Releasing a statement after the collapse, the Ecology Union said the mine should be immediately shut down because of the threats it poses to the Karaayıt village and the Madra Dam.

It noted that the Balıkesir Water and Sewerage Administration had to establish a treatment system after rising arsenic levels in the village's drinking water.

The relevant ministries and courts should fulfill their duties to assess the results of the incident, including determining the level of heavy metals in waters and taking necessary precautions.

Those who are responsible for the incident should be put on trial, the union further said.

Several local environmental groups in Balıkesir also released a joint statement, saying that the stream should be cleaned and the license of the mine should be canceled.

Cyanide storage pools

On November 19, pools where cyanide waste was stored in a mining facility Şebinkarahisar, Giresun, also collapsed. The waste polluted the Kelkit River and the Kılıçkaya Dam lake.

Sixteen days after the incident, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change announced that the company running the mine had been fined 12 million lira (~836,000 USD), the maximum fine, and had been banned from operating. (TP/VK)