A cyanide spill at the former Union mine near Grand Forks, B.C., has left Robert Seraphim fighting charges and a suit brought against him by the province of British Columbia.
Sumac Ventures operated a seasonal tailings recovery operation at the mine from the fall of 1987 until the spring of 1989, utilizing heap leaching to recover gold and silver from old mine tailings.
The province’s charges, dating back to September, 1989, allege that a cyanide spill occurred from one of the ponds in late September of 1988, discharging an unknown quantity of cyanide into the environment.
Seraphim, a geological engineer and the former president of the then VSE-listed Sumac Ventures, is named in 12 charges under the Waste Management Act along with Sumac and Sumac’s wholly owned operating company, 24 K Mining. Seraphim notes that Sumac and 24 K, both of which are bankrupt, have essentially ceased to exist, leaving him to face the charges and a pending civil suit. He added that none of the other officers or directors of the company are named in the suit or charges.
Seraphim said the province spent in the order of $1 million cleaning up the site and as a result, the government is seeking damages through a civil action pending the outcome of the current court case.
The Waste Management case is adjourned until late June or early July. Seraphim noted that he was not the manager of the property and does not believe there should be any recourse against him personally. He went on to say that directors and officers of other mining or exploration companies should be aware of their potential liability, adding that perhaps they would be better off moving their operations to Mexico where he has recently been active.
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