Honduras: Holding the Mining Industry Accountable

Entremares, a subsidiary of the Canadian-US parent company Goldcorp, has been operating the enormous San Martin gold mine in central Honduras since 1999. Communities in Siria Valley have complained for years that the mine has polluted local rivers, destroyed forests, and dried up the local water supply.

Entremares is using cyanide to extract gold from mined ore. This controversial method has been banned in the state of Montana and severely restricted in several countries.

ELAW advocate Clarisa Vega called on ELAW for help analyzing the environmental and health impacts of this mine. In addition to water quantity and quality problems associated with the mine, soil sediments from the Guajiniquil gully, near the San Martin mine, showed arsenic concentration levels exceeding limits set by the Honduran government and international organizations.

The Government of Honduras imposed a fine of US $55,500 on Entremares in June 2007 for carrying out "polluting and damaging activities." The Honduran Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment said the company had broken Honduran environmental laws, as well as its contract with the government, by polluting water supplies with cyanide and arsenic. This is the second time the Honduran government has accepted that a mining company has damaged the environment.

Mines and Their Messes

Honduras This Week (October 29, 2007) reports that after Hurricane Mitch, the General Mining Law of 1998 was passed to kick-start the reconstruction process. The law reduced mineral export taxes, guaranteed mining companies greater access to water supplies, and dismantled many environmental regulations. Between 1999 and 2002, mineral extraction in Honduras tripled, with long-term mining concessions granted to U.S., Canadian, and European companies. But at what cost to Honduras residents?

ELAW advocate Clarisa Vega took this matter to the Honduras Constitutional Court. She claimed that these statutory provisions, which are effectively a giant corporate giveaway, violate the Constitution. In September 2007, the Constitutional Court agreed with Clarisa and revoked the provisions.

A new mining law is making its way through committees of the National Congress. Clarisa is advising NGO advocates who seek to impose tighter controls on the mining industry, through better laws and enforcement of existing laws, to protect the health of communities and build a sustainable future for Honduras.