This week, the Center for Environmental Advocacy (CIAM) denounced that there were possible irregularities in the convening of a public forum to analyze with the community of the village of Remance, in the province of Veraguas, the details of the environmental impact study (EIA) that it was carried out in order to reactivate a gold mine in the area.
The legal manager of CIAM, Joana Ábrego, explained that many social and environmental organizations, and the movement called “Panama is worth more without mining”, “we oppose this decision because we understand that metal mining is not viable in a country with the conditions that Panama has.
He indicated that after this forum, it will be up to the Ministry of the Environment to reject this environmental impact study, since the study does not meet the legal requirements.
“It is impossible for the mine to offer enough measures to avoid a serious risk of contamination for the more than 200,000 people who use the Santa María river basin. This study does not even address how it contains and mitigates the possibility that the chemicals it uses the mine can reach the groundwater and the Santa María River itself,” Ábrego said.
According to CIAM, the call for this event did not respect “the rights of citizens” and the notice of the call was published just four days before the forum.
The consultants of the promoter Greenfield Mining stated in said study that “seeking” to reduce the possible impact on the environment, the project proposes the use of areas previously affected by mining works in the 1990s.
