Turkey rescinds Copler mine environmental permit after landslide

The Turkish Government has annulled the environmental permit for SSR Mining‘s Copler mine in eastern Türkiye following a landslide on 13 February 2024 that resulted in at least eight workers being trapped.

Canada-based gold miner SSR Mining noted that it has been actively involved in search and rescue operations to locate the missing workers.

The company has expressed its commitment to continuing support for the Turkish authorities as they lead the search and rescue efforts on-site.

To aid the families of the missing workers during this distressing time, SSR Mining has established a new waiting and information point within the mine’s vicinity.

As a result of the permit revocation, all operations at the Copler mine will be on hold until further notice.

In a statement, the company said: “Planning for near-term remediation efforts has begun at the direction of Ministry Officials, with an initial focus on removing heap leach material from the Sabirli valley and relocating it to a permanent storage location.”

SSR Mining is also deploying third-party contractor resources to support the recovery and remediation efforts.

Since the 13 February incident, the Turkish Ministry of the Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change has been regularly monitoring the surface water, groundwater, soil and air quality in the region.

The miner further noted: “To date, the Ministry has reported that all results have been negative with respect to potential contamination in the locations being monitored.”

Meanwhile, late last year, SSR Mining was in the news for the sale of its San Luis gold-silver project in Peru to Highlander Silver.

SSR Mining will retain a 4% net smelter return royalty on the project, which will be granted prior to deal close.