Improving Cyanide Management in Peru

Huayatará, Peru: guaranteeing the health and the safety of the employees as well as enhancing stronger control of environmental impacts through repairing and reconstructing the cyanide processing plant at the Sierra Antapite SAC mine.

Sierra Antapite SAC in Peru has identified several improvements, repair and reconstruction needs at its cyanide processing plant. These changes will reinforce the way the mine manages its’ cyanidation process, will better protect its employees as well as reduce the risks of negative impacts to the environment.

These improvements will also help the operation to obtain the International Cyanide Management Code (ICMI), a standard recognized as the highest standard in term of cyanide management.

Objectives:

Protect human health and the environment by implementing safe management and operating systems (such as contingency plans, inspections, preventive maintenance procedures and working only with ICMI accredited suppliers)
Protect beneficial uses of groundwater by implementing measures designed to manage seepage from cyanide facilities
Provide spill prevention and containment measures for processing tanks and piping
Comply with the specifications of the ICMI by improving and adjusting the infrastructure of the cyanide processing plant
Instruct workers of the processing plant with newest cyanide management protocols

Picture: Swiss Better Gold Association Members visiting the Antapite Mine in October 2022

Project:

Repair of infrastructure
Replacement of equipment of the cyanide processing plant
Training of personnel

Project implementation:

The total cost of the project amounted to USD 143,533.- with a Swiss Better Gold contribution of USD 71,767.- from the Swiss Better Gold Fund.

Date of Project completion:

The repair of the infrastructure and the equipment were concluded in May 2023.

Impacts:

Environmental: reduction of negative impacts due to the prevention of spills and infiltration of cyanide solutions into the soil and ground-water
Social: protect the health of the workers
Social: protect local communities from any environmental impact of the mine, and improve community relations with the mine
Other: contribute to complying with the requirements outlined in the International Cyanide Management Code (ICMI)