RENO--(Mineweb.com) As of deadline Wednesday evening, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the Government of British Columbia were trying to determine if hydrogen sulfide gas had killed four people at the old Sullivan lead, zinc and silver mine near Kimberley, British Columbia.
Teck Cominco said it learned early Wednesday morning that one of its environmental consultants was missing. The RCMP contract employee, who was testing water at a pumping station as part of reclamation of the Sullivan mine, may have died two days ago.
Teck Cominco then began the search for the individual who was found floating in the well of the above-ground pump house by another contract employee. Unfortunately, the employee, who was attempting to rescue the consultant, entered the shed with two paramedics, and was also overcome. Two paramedics, who were not wearing protective gear when they tried to rescue the victims, also were overcome, according to the RCMP.
The question here is why the RCMP were once again involved, not as police but as contract workers. If this was the case and not a misprint. If it is the case then it is not unlike the case in Mayerthorpe Alberta last year when four RCMP were killed acting as repo-men on contract.
And why were these 'contract' employees entering a confined space with no protective equipment, and no air samplers in violation of confined space legislation? After all a MINE is a CONFINED SPACE. And Hydrogen Sulfide gas occurs in Zinc and Copper mines. Especially abandoned ones.
The fact the mine is leaching acid is itself a testament to Teck Comincos bad environment practices. Bad environmental practices, bad health and safety practices. Anything for a buck gete folks killed.
Ogilvie said while the lead zinc mine was closed in 2001, Teck Cominco continued to do reclamation work on the site. He said the pumping station where the four died was being used to treat acid which leaks from the mine site.
But it could have been far worse if the Kimberly fire fighters had not treated this as a confined space operation.
The victims were found by Kimberley firefighters who had followed up the initial emergency call. "When they got to the site of the emergency ... they found there were four people down at the time," said Ogilvie. "They donned their gear to go into hazardous atmospheres and confined spaces .... They removed three people and one was left. The other three were transferred to hospital but I understand now that all four have been pronounced dead." Toxic gas kills 4 in mine `horror'
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