Expert discovery postponed in İliç Gold Mine: Experts deemed inadequate
The decision regarding the request to change the experts due to their lack of neutrality and expertise in the matter for the expert discovery in the lawsuit to annul the "Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Positive" decision for Anagold's Çöpler Gold Mine facility in Ilıç, Erzincan, was made yesterday (October 4).
Erzincan Administrative Court unanimously confirmed that the four experts appointed for the discovery were not neutral and lacked expertise. The court partially accepted and partially rejected the objections made against the experts.
The expert discovery that was expected to take place at the gold mine today has been postponed.
Court Decision
In its decision, the court explained the current status of the experts as follows:
The Mining Engineer expert was objected to on the grounds that "he is in favor of gold mining and has interviews related to gold mines.
"The Hydrologist expert was objected to on the grounds that "a Hydrogeologist should have been assigned instead of a Hydrologist.
"The Meteorology Engineer and Geological Engineer experts were objected to on the grounds that "they do not hold the status of a university professor.
"The Public Health Specialist expert was objected to on the grounds that "he served as the Provincial Health Directorate of Erzurum between 2007-2017 and cannot be neutral.
"The Environmental Engineer expert was objected to on the grounds that "he owns Ar-Ge Çevre Teknolojiler A.Ş., which provides services to companies, and has business dealings with mining and other companies in the private sector.
"The Seismologist expert was objected to on the grounds that "he has only two publications on seismology, his publications are related to geophysics, and his internet statements are related to petroleum."
Therefore, the court decided to consider these objections and took the necessary actions.
What Happened?
On June 21, 2022, a malfunction occurred in the pipelines carrying cyanide-containing solution at Anagold's Çöpler Gold Mine in Ilıç, Erzincan. The governorship informed that approximately 20 cubic meters of solution had been discharged into the Euphrates River. Following this incident, the prosecution initiated an investigation, charging the mine for"negligent pollution of the environment" and imposed the maximum fine under the Environmental Law, and the facility's operations were suspended.
TMMOB (Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects) had later filed a lawsuit against the "Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Positive" decision issued by the Ministry of Environment, Urban Planning, and Climate Change regarding capacity increase in the gold mine.
Call for immediate closure of İliç gold mine
(TY/PE)