This story has not gotten adequate coverage or attention.
Buenavista del Cobre mine in Cananea , Sonora, MX, is only thirty plus miles from US border. The Mine is owned by Grupo Mexico.The Mine spilled fifteen million gallons of highly acidic and toxic waste into the Sonora River in August. The first spill was due to negligence and facility failure, not flooding as mine first claimed. We now learn that flooding last week caused additional toxic releases which entered the San Pedro river headwaters, which flow northward into the US.
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Sonoran government is now attempting to enter mine facility with security forces, as mine has failed to respond and has been criminally negligent about reporting and responding to spills and releases.
The Sonora river is lined with farms. No one now can use the water for 150 miles. Wildlife, livestock, dead. Farmers cannot sell their produce, people cannot drink milk. Water has to be hauled, they cannot irrigate.
The San Pedro river also has headwaters at Cananea, in Sonora. The San Pedro flows north into the US and enters the US between Bisbee and Sierra Vista, AZ. The San Pedro National Riparian Conservation Area extends from the border north about fifty miles.
The river is a lifeline for birds especially. Over 45% of ALL North American species of birds use the San Pedro corridor during some part of their life cycle. Painstaking work has been ongoing to restore the San Pedro riparian zone.
Last week hurricane Odile and a subsequent system brought the San Pedro into flood stage.Those of us who live along the San Pedro marveled and also did some hand wringing as the river flooded. Many folks have never seen it that high or wide. Sonora had even higher amounts of rainfall. Unclear about the relationship of the two rivers and the mine, I looked it up. I encourage you to look up Cananea , Sonora , Mexico on a map or google earth.
Sure enough, the mine sits on the headwaters of the San Pedro and has periodically spilled waste into the river. The last huge one was in 1978, when so much was released,it killed wildlife as far as 100 miles north, well into the US. As a result of that spill and others the mine was forced to come up with a plan. Evidently the plan was to build a structure which would divert waste toward the Sonora River instead of the San Pedro. How is it acceptable to threaten ANY waterway????
It was belatedly announced that indeed the flooding released mine waste into the San Pedro last week. Initial word was that it was 'probably toxic'. Testing has been late. the waste was toxic, the question is how far did it travel and what are the concentrations. Initial testing seems to indicate levels are within historic norms here in the US. Given the 'history', that statement is hardly reassuring. The area around Cananea, of course, is a disaster.
As it is, surveys along the border show that when Americans are asked what is the biggest border problem, we say people crossing the border. when Sonorans have been asked what the biggest problem is, they answer..water. They have it right.
As far as I can deduce, now that the Sonoran river containment system failed..further breaches will head down the San Pedro.
. Please, please, please, spread the word about this disaster and this environmental, ecological, and social crime.
Northern bird species will soon migrate here and to Sonora. Tropical bird species winter here in Summer. People along this river have wells near the river. The city of Tucson gets twenty per cent of its water from same aquifer, so I have read.