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INCIDENTS

SAN JUAN, CHOROPAMA AND MAGDALENA, PERU - MERCURY SPILL OF 2 JUNE 2000

The following section provides a compilation of links to information sources related to the mercury spill on 2 June 2000. 

On 2 June, 151 kilograms of liquid mercury was spilled from a truck delivering mercury mined as a by-product of gold at Yanacocha, to a warehouse in Lima, to be sold to a vendor. The mercury was spilled along the main highway from Cajamarca to the coast, including in the communities of San Juan, Choropampa, and Magdalena. Almost 300 people were found to have suffered some degree of mercury poisoning.  Minera Yanacocha is owned by Newmont Mining Corporation of Denver, Colorado; Minera Buenaventura of Peru, and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). It is the largest gold mine in Latin America in the province of Cajamarca in Northern Peru.

Disclaimer: UNEP DTIE makes every effort to ensure, but does not guarantee, the accuracy of the information on this web site. Hyperlinks to other web sites imply neither responsibility for, nor approval of, the information contained in those other web sites on the part of UNEP.

  1. New

  2. News Releases

  3. Newmont

  4. Non-governmental Organisations (NGO's)

New

FEATURE - PLIGHT OF PERU TOWN DIM AFTER MINE'S MERCURY SPILL

Planet Ark - 03 July 2002 - Consuelo Chuquitucto stares blankly at the courtyard of her home where plastic tarpaulins are strung up as walls, but sees nothing. Further information can be obtained from the new article.

MINE'S MERCURY SPILL LEAVES DIM LEGACY IN PERUVIAN TOWN

Environmental News Network (ENN) - 02 July 2002 - Consuelo Chuquitucto stares blankly at the courtyard of her home where donkeys bray and plastic sheeting is strung up as walls — but sees nothing. Further information can be obtained from the new article.

News Releases

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Newmont

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International and Non Governmental Organisations (NGO's)