A new article in the Santiago Times describes a recent toxic spill at Anglo American's Los Bronces mine in Chile. According to the article, a truck transporting ammonium nitrate veered off the road near Santiago on March 28, spilling 20 tons of its toxic cargo just feet from a river feeding the Aguas Cordillera water treatment plant.
This incident was apparently one of many along the road, including a spill in 2011 of 790 gallons of ammonium nitrate spilling into and contaminating a nearby creek.
The article quotes a nearby resident saying, “Since the arrival of Anglo American in 2000, it has become impossible to live here.”
These spills highlight one of the significant risks of the proposed Pebble Mine, where Anglo American is proposing to build a massive copper and gold mine at the headwaters of the world's largest wild salmon fishery. To transport the ore, a 100 mile road must also be built, which will cross important salmon streams, and provide ample opportunity for spills like this one.
