This is a 300-year-old agricultural community of San Andrés de Minas in the Copan department of western Honduras. In 1999, Greenstone Resources Limited of Canada obtained a concession in San Andrés area. In a short time, residents were relocated and the town centre flattened. The relocation of San Andrés was devastating for the community. The people lost their traditional family farm plots and, because soil in the relocation area was poor, agriculture became much more difficult. Only a handful got jobs in the mine. The community also lost its central plaza and meeting place. Long-standing relationships and traditional village governance structures began to break down, making it difficult for people to organize and assert their concerns. By 2000, Minosa Mining bought Greenstone. Expansion continued and other nearby communities were affected. Minosa established a cyanide heap leach pad only a short distance from the village of San Miguel. Residents of San Miguel soon began to experience skin disorders that come with contaminated water, and their farm animals began to die. Over the years, there have been several major spills of tailings into a nearby river, killing fish and other aquatic life, and affecting communities downstream. In 2005, the mine changed hands once again to British Columbia-based, Yamana Gold. Problems continued as Yamana sought to expand the mine. By spring of 2006, people from four different communities were being displaced for this expansion. The original group from San Andrés faced relocation a second time. |
Name of conflict: | Gold mining San Andres in Copan, Honduras |
Country: | Honduras |
State or province: | Copan |
Location of conflict: | La Union |
Accuracy of location | HIGH (Local level) |
Type of conflict. 1st level: | Mineral Ores and Building Materials Extraction |
Type of conflict. 2nd level: | Mineral ore exploration Tailings from mines Land acquisition conflicts |
Specific commodities: | Gold |
Project details | Mina a cielo Abierto Vida util 7 años Removerá 13.1 millones de ton. con ley media de 1.59 gramos por tonelada Reservas 671.000 onzas de oro |
Type of population | Rural |
Start of the conflict: | 1998 |
Company names or state enterprises: | Greenstone Minera from Canada Minerales de Occidente, S.A. (MINOSA) from Honduras Yamana Gold Inc. from Canada Aura Gold from Canada |
International and Finance Institutions | Banco Atlantida from Honduras |
Environmental justice organizations (and other supporters) and their websites, if available: | Asociacion de Organismos No Gubernamentales, ASONOG. |
Intensity | MEDIUM (street protests, visible mobilization) |
Reaction stage | Mobilization for reparations once impacts have been felt |
Groups mobilizing: | International ejos Local ejos Neighbours/citizens/communities Religious groups |
Forms of mobilization: | Development of a network/collective action Involvement of national and international NGOs Lawsuits, court cases, judicial activism Media based activism/alternative media Official complaint letters and petitions Public campaigns |
Environmental Impacts | Visible: Food insecurity (crop damage), Loss of landscape/aesthetic degradation, Waste overflow, Surface water pollution / Decreasing water (physico-chemical, biological) quality Potential: Air pollution, Soil contamination, Deforestation and loss of vegetation cover, Groundwater pollution or depletion |
Other Environmental impacts | Local population uprooted |
Socio-economical Impacts | Visible: Displacement, Loss of livelihood, Loss of traditional knowledge/practices/cultures, Violations of human rights, Land dispossession, Loss of landscape/sense of place Potential: Increase in Corruption/Co-optation of different actors, Lack of work security, labour absenteeism, firings, unemployment, Militarization and increased police presence |
Other socio-economic impacts | Local population uprooted |
Project Status | In operation |
Conflict outcome / response: | Corruption Land demarcation Migration/displacement Negotiated alternative solution Application of existing regulations |
Do you consider this an environmental justice success? Was environmental justice served?: | No |
Briefly explain: | The inhabitants of the area have denounced contamination of the river waters with cyanide and health problems, on the other hand, the residents who maintained an agreement for the sale of their properties were defrauded by not receiving your payments. Despite everything, the project continues |
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Contributor: | Patricio Chávez |
Last update | 08/04/2014 |
Conflict ID: | 786 |
Images |
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Area minada en San Andres
Source: https://www.ocmal.org/empresa-minerales-de-occidente-hace-desaparecer-comunidad-enteras-en-copan/
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