SIERRA VISTA — Local officials are actively trying to find out more information on a reported spill at a mine in Mexico that may have contaminated the San Pedro River.
A binational alert issued Monday morning by Carlos Jesus Arias, director of the Sonora, Mexico, state civil protection agency, said the contamination from the Buenavista del Cobre mine in Cananea had reached the San Pedro River.
The mine is owned by Grupo Mexico and produces about 200,000 tons of copper each year.
Norm Strum, Cochise County Emergency Services Coordinator, said he has been trying to find out more information about what happened.
“What we know right now is that this event happened last Thursday, and it was either an ‘overtopping’ of a dam, or the dam broke, but at this point we still trying to find out,” Strum said.
Supervisor Pat Call voiced similar frustration on Monday, saying he hopes state and federal agencies will take an active role in working with Mexican authorities to determine the extent of the contamination and its impact on the San Pedro River.
Call said Cochise County has contacted the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the Arizona Department of Water Resources to make sure they are aware of the situation.
“We’ve had a great deal of trouble trying to run down information,” Call said. “We’re hoping that because the San Pedro is a federal concern, that the Bureau of Land Management and other federal agencies will get involved, because they certainly have the resources to address international matters.”
Officials have not said how much leaked, or what exactly was in the spill. Arias said the contents had not yet been analyzed, but the material is “probably toxic.”
The binational International Boundary and Water Commission was alerted as a precautionary measure. Civil protection officials urged residents and ranchers to avoid the water.
Congressman Ron Barber was also made aware of the spill and issued a statement on Monday afternoon.
“I am deeply troubled by news that contaminants from a copper mine in Mexico have spilled into the San Pedro River, which flows north into Arizona. This problem must be addressed with urgency and action taken to establish responsibility and accountability for the spill,” Barber said.
“The United States government must insist that Mexican authorities investigate the cause and impact of the spill and take appropriate action against Grupo Mexico if it is found that the company misrepresented what happened.”
His opponent in the Congressional District No. 2 election, Martha McSally, was similarly firm in her call to action.
“It goes without saying that our drinking water is critical, and I encourage state authorities to take swift action to look into possible contamination of the San Pedro River. Should toxic contaminates be found as a result of the August spill in Mexico, we need a full response to hold those responsible accountable and make sure people living near the San Pedro have access to safe and reliable drinking water.”
The mine issued a statement Sunday saying storm water overflow linked to heavy rains from Hurricane Odile had caused mine water to leach into some creeks and streams.
Earlier this month, Grupo Mexico agreed to set up a $151 million trust to pay for damage when 10 million gallons of contaminants, including copper sulfate and heavy metals, spilled from the same mine into two rivers.
