27.05.2024 20:26
The expert report on the accident in the gold mine in Erzincan stated that the insufficient capacity increase and warning systems were effective in the incident where 9 workers were trapped underground. In addition, the officials who gave the positive EIA decision in 2021, along with 13 people, were also seen as primarily responsible. Murat Kurum, the former Minister of Environment and Urbanization, who had his signature under the capacity increase and EIA decision, had said, "What does the landslide have to do with the EIA report?" Four more people were arrested in connection with the incident.
The expert report on the landslide incident in the gold mine field in the İliç district of Erzincan, where 9 workers were trapped underground on February 13, has been completed. The report emphasized the impact of capacity increase in the mine field and inadequate warning systems on the accident. Meanwhile, 4 people found to be primarily at fault in the incident were arrested and sent to prison. Thus, the number of people arrested in connection with the incident has risen to 12.
The report also draws attention to the fact that the officials who issued the positive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) decision in 2021 were also found to be primarily at fault. Both the EIA decision and the approvals for the increase in the mine field's capacity by the then Minister of Environment and Urbanization, Murat Kurum, were recalled. Kurum had said after the incident, "We do not grant the operating permit. What does the landslide have to do with the EIA report?"
CAPACITY INCREASE AND INADEQUACY OF WARNING SYSTEMS WERE EFFECTIVE IN THE ACCIDENT
According to the 262-page report prepared as a result of the evaluations of the expert committee, the incident was defined as a "work accident" in accordance with Article 13/a-b of the Social Security and General Health Insurance Law No. 5510.
In the report, which examines the company's organizational structure and defines the duties, responsibilities, and authorities of managers, engineers, and other officials, the reasons for the occurrence of the incident are mentioned, and the following statements are included:
"It has been concluded that the failure to establish the project management mechanism correctly/adequately, the increase in capacity as Phase 4B, and the design deficiencies/errors in the prepared projects, the inadequate monitoring of the project design criteria during the operation phase, the failure to determine the possible damage risks to the heap leach due to the use of explosives in large quantities and close distances to the heap leach during the construction of Phase 5, the inadequacy of the warning systems, and the lack of a system that would effectively manage the incident after the cracks give warnings were effective in the occurrence of the incident."
The report also stated that the incident caused environmental pollution. It was stated that in the reports prepared during the design and planning phase, the data sets that would meet the requirements of the relevant legislation were not used, and the obligations under the Mining and Environment Law were not fulfilled.
13 PEOPLE WERE FOUND TO BE PRIMARILY AT FAULT, REFERENCE WAS MADE TO THE EIA DECISION IN 2021
It was concluded that 13 people, including engineers, managers, and executives working in the company operating the gold mine, were primarily at fault.
The report also stated that the officials who issued the positive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) decision on October 7, 2021, were also considered to be primarily at fault. The report stated that 26 people were found to be secondarily at fault and that there was no element of inevitability in the accident.
4 MORE SUSPECTS WERE ARRESTED
The investigation into the landslide at the gold mine in the village of Çöpler continues.
S.Ç, the occupational health and safety manager of the company, F.Y, the operations manager, Ö.A, the project coordinator, and M.K, the drilling and blasting engineer, who were found to be primarily at fault in the expert report, were called to the courthouses in the provinces where they are located to give their statements.
After the prosecutor's interrogation, the 4 suspects were arrested by the courts they were referred to. Thus, the number of detainees in the investigation into the mining accident has risen to 12.
WHAT DID MURAT KURUM SAY?
Murat Kurum, who was criticized for his approvals during his tenure as the Minister of Environment and Urbanization, stated that the mining operation was sealed for 3 months due to deficiencies but resumed operations after proving that all necessary precautions were taken. He used the following statements:
"Those who slander us should know that the Ministry of Environment does not grant the capacity increase decision because it does not have such authority. It only measures the environmental impact of the capacity increase and approves or disapproves it."
WHAT HAPPENED?
In the landslide that occurred on February 13 in the gold mine field in the İliç district of Erzincan, the bodies of 4 out of 9 workers who went missing were found.
As part of the investigation, 8 suspects, including the Canadian executive I.R.G. of the company operating the gold mine, were previously arrested, and 2 suspects were released under judicial control. The arrested suspects consist of engineers, managers, and executives working in the company.