VANCOUVER (miningweekly.com) – Dual-listed precious metals producer Tahoe Resources reported on Monday that it had fully contained a fuel spill at the La Arena mine, in Peru.
According to a company statement, a contractor overfilled a diesel storage tank on Friday evening, spilling diesel into the containment facilities.
The fuel vendor had left the containment drain valve open because of continuing rains, which resulted in about 1 135 ℓ to 1 893 ℓ of fuel leaving the containment facility.
Tahoe said the drainage valve was closed as soon as it was discovered, after which the appropriate emergency response and clean-up protocols were activated.
The company believes it has successfully contained the spill by building dams, placing absorbing materials and disposing of the recovered fuel in line with legal requirements.
The Agency for Environmental Assessment and Control and the Supervisor of Investment in Energy and Mines was notified within the required 24-hour period, with the surrounding communities of La Arena also being notified.
Production is not expected to be affected by this event, Tahoe said.
A full internal investigation will be completed to avoid and prevent future incidents.
As the temporary suspension of activities at Tahoe’s flagship Escobal mine, in Guatemala, drags on, the La Arena mine has become increasingly important to Tahoe for its gold production, which together with the Shahuindo mine, also in Peru, and the Timmins mines, in Ontario, Canada, make up the balance of the company’s production, which is expected to amount to between 400 000 oz and 475 000 oz of gold this year – down 25 000 oz from January 2017 estimates.