Who is responsible for Erzincan İliç? Ministries refuse to take ownership

The İliç Mining Accident Research Commission, established in the TBMM regarding the heap leach slide on February 13, 2024, at the Çöpler Gold Mine in the İliç district of Erzincan, where 9 workers were buried under soil, met under the chairmanship of Atay Uslu. 

The commission heard from officials of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. Cihan Tatar, General Manager of EIA, Permitting and Inspection, gave a presentation to the commission. Deputy Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Fatma Varank also attended the commission meeting.

UNDER THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OTHER MINISTRY 

In his speech to the commission on April 30, Deputy Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Abdullah Tancan stated that there was no process in which MAPEG approved any project related to the heap leach area, saying, "The heap leach area is a subject entirely within the scope of the legislation of the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization, approved by them and monitored by them," indicating that the other ministry was responsible.

ASKED IN THE COMMISSION: "WAS IT INSPECTED?"

At today's commission meeting, the same question was put to the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. CHP Zonguldak MP Deniz Yavuzyılmaz asked Recep Akdeniz, General Manager of Environmental Management, "An excess capacity of 10 million tons was loaded. There was production pressure. As the Ministry of Environment, are you fulfilling your duty to monitor and inspect whether the capacity specified in the final EIA report was exceeded or not? Did you inspect whether loading was done above the heap leach capacity or not?"

Akdeniz said, "We do not have a duty regarding the height of the heap leach site. There is no provision in our legislation stating 'you are authorized and responsible here' regarding operational processes," stating that their ministry was not the institution responsible for monitoring.

REMINDED OF BEŞİKTAŞ

During the discussions, a brief argument broke out between AKP MPs Şengül Karslı and Resul Kurt, MHP Gümüşhane MP Musa Küçük, and CHP MPs after CHP Ankara MP Gamze Taşçıer and Zonguldak MP Deniz Yavuzyılmaz stated that Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Mehmet Özhaseki had arrived in the region late.

MHP's Küçük said, "29 people died in Beşiktaş, even your mayor did not go. Account for that. The people there died by burning."

CHP MPs Taşçıer and Yavuzyılmaz reminded them that a parliamentary question could be submitted regarding that incident, and that 7 workers were still buried under the soil in İliç.

News Source: 12punto