News Release - Ajax Test Blast Report

Posted by Stop Ajax Mine on February 13th, 2013 1:30pm

The Kamloops Area Preservation Association (KAPA) is calling for KGHM Ajax to re-do the test blasts it conducted in February 2011 at a proposed open pit mine, located less than two kilometres from residential areas in the City of Kamloops, due to deficiencies in the data collected for these blasts.   

The data from these small-scale test blasts are going to be used to estimate the seismic, air-blast, and noise effects of large-scale production blasts.  “However, Ajax’s test blast report, commonly known as the Orica report, has been soundly criticized by Dr. Takis Katsabanis, an Associate Professor of Mining Engineering at Queen’s University,” (here's a link to Katsabanis report) according to KAPA spokesperson, John Schleiermacher,

“Katsabasis concludes that the Orica report did not demonstrate that it had accurately predicted the effects of realistic, complex, full-scale blast designs, because the report failed to provide critical information such as the diameter, priming, and location of the drill holes, the rock type blasted, and the amount of explosives in the test blast,” Schleiermacher points out.

“Although the test blast data is supposed to be used to design production blasts in order to manage blast vibration and air-blasts, the report fails to define the size of a production blast.  Without this data, how can Ajax possibly estimate the impacts of its daily blast?” Schleiermacher asks.

“Two other issues were ignored in the Orica report,” Schleiermacher says.  “One issue is the toxic chemical composition of the emissions—some of which will undoubtedly settle over the city carried by the frequent southwesterly winds in the Aberdeen area.  The second issue is the visual impact of the blast plume.  If the plume is visible, who is going to want to live downwind from that?” Schleiermacher asks.

“The Orica report also illustrates much of what is wrong with the environmental assessment process,” Schleiermacher says.  “We had to fight to have the Orica report released.  When it was released, the Ajax Community Advisory Group included the report’s deficiencies as one of the many issues the government assessment agencies are trying to ignore or downplay, in a CAG submission to these agencies in November 2012,” Schleiermacher concluded. 

For further information, please contact:

John Schleiermacher
Phone: 250-374-7431
www.stopajaxmine.ca

Comments

Mervin D. Grandbois on 2013-02-15 09:23:29

The man gets paid no matter what happens. So of course he doesn't care whether it goes through or not. we are not stupid people.

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