Murat Kurum on İliç gold mine disaster: 'What does landslide have to do with the EIA report?'

Murat Kurum, the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) mayoral candidate of the People's Alliance, spoke about the issuance of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) positive report for the Çöpler Gold Mine owned by Anagold company in the İliç district of Erzincan during his tenure as the Minister of Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change.

Kurum participated in the "What's Happening in Life" program aired on Kanal D TV channel.

Responding to criticisms directed at him following the mining disaster in İliç, Kurum said, "We do not grant operating permits. What does landslide have to do with the EIA report?"

Kurum claimed that the Çöpler Mine has had an EIA report since 2008 and continued his speech as follows:

"After the accident in İliç, they say it happened because the former Minister of Environment issued the EIA report. The Ministry of Environment examines whether there is an impact on the environment from the activities. Everything is done according to regulations, and if there are violations, appropriate action is taken. The Ministry looks into whether the operation has any issues. It cannot grant operating permits.

We have inspected it 135 times and even closed down the operation for three months. This place has had an EIA since 2008. They wanted to increase the capacity, and they requested to be informed if there were any issues. We received opinions from 21 committees and stated that 'there are no environmental issues if you take these measures.' They also obtained operating permits from the relevant ministry. Now they say, 'because you issued the EIA there, this happened.' What does a landslide have to do with the EIA report?"

However, contrary to Kurum's statements, according to the Regulation on Management of Mining Wastes available on the website of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, the Ministry bears responsibility for facilities where mining wastes are stored. According to the expression in the regulation, "Construction control of disposal facilities for mining wastes (waste dams, heap leach pad construction, collection systems for leakage water from acid-generating tailings) shall be carried out by authorized inspection firms until the Ministry determines the procedures and principles." (RT/PE)