New expert report finds no fault with ministry officials over Erzincan mine accident

ERZİNCAN

A panel of experts has issued a second report on a deadly mine disaster in the eastern province of Erzincan earlier this year, absolving officials from the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry of any culpability regarding the incident's environmental impacts.

A massive cyanide-laden tailings heap at a gold mine in İliç district collapsed on Feb. 13, trapping nine workers underneath. Their bodies were recovered months later after an extensive search involving heavy machinery and hundreds of personnel.

The investigation led to the arrest of eight individuals, including senior executives.

In their newly published 42-page report, the 12-member expert panel concluded that ministry officials bore no fault due to the documentation they had issued approving the mining site.

“The report outlines environmental precautions the operator should take, but implementing these measures and managing operations is entirely the responsibility of the project owner,” it stated. It also clarified that accidents during the operational phase are not directly linked to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report.

The report underscored that the storage of leached tailings necessitates meticulous engineering calculations. It also detailed the comprehensive review of technical reports, witness testimonies, permit documentation, measurement results, operational licenses and the organizational structure of the company involved.

Highlighting the impossibility of visually detecting such risks, the panel ultimately declared that officials who approved or endorsed the EIA bore no responsibility for the accident.