Some Mines of Interest - Mining and the Environment: From Ore to Metal - page 64

KIMBERLEY
In 1871 the discovery of one 83.50 carat diamond on the slopes of the Colesberg Kopje hill
in South Africa led to the i rst diamond rush in the area. As miners arrived in their thou-
sands, the hill disappeared, and became known as the Big Hole. When miners started to
work the Kimberley diamond pipe, nobody knew how deep it would go. When mining
ceased the Big Hole was the world's biggest mine excavated by hand with a depth of about
800 meters. The Big Hole produced more than 14 million carats of diamonds. Today the
mine is gone, but the mine town Kimberley which it created, continues to l ourish.
MARCOPPER
In 1996 a major tailings release occurred at the Marcopper Mine on Marinduque Island in
the Philippines. The bulk of tailings discharged in the i rst 3 days, l owing down as a mud
l ow for most of the 26 km long river to the sea. The incident resulted in closure of the
operations, triggered legal proceedings by the Philippine Government, and continues to
inl uence permitting of new mines in the Philippines to the current day.
MARTHA MINE
The Martha Gold Project was the i rst major hard rock mining operation to be commis-
sioned following the resurgence of the gold mining industry in New Zealand in the late
1970s. The Martha Mine pit is situated right in the town of Waihi. The processing plant and
mine waste disposal area have been placed two kilometers away from the pit at the outskirt
of the township. The mine serves as a prime example that one can relocate in mine design
mine infrastructure but not the ore body. Because of its location, the mining operation has
received a high level of public scrutiny, rel ected by stringent conditions set for the project.
MINAHASA
Newmont's Minahasa Gold Mine located in North Sulawesi completed its operations in 2004
and was small compared to other gold mines in Indonesia or elsewhere. However, Minahasa
was the i rst mine in Indonesia to dispose of its tailings using submarine tailings placement.
The tailings were placed 1 km offshore from Buyat Bay, more than 80 meters below the sea
surface. When the mine closed, anti-mining advocates and the then Minister of Environment
claimed that Buyat Bay had been polluted by tailings alleging human health problems due to
mercury and arsenic contamination. After a lengthy legal battle Newmont was eventually
acquitted of all wrong doing. The ill-founded accusations, however, discouraged not only
future mining investment, but foreign investment in Indonesia as a whole.
MINES DE POTASSE D'ALSACE
Mines de Potasse d'Alsace (MDPA) has operated the Amelie underground potash mine
and processing plant and the Marie-Louise underground mine near Mulhouse in northeast