Amazon toxic waste alert

Published on 04/09/2012 00:00

Waste water laced with heavy metals from a major zinc mine has spilled into a tributary of the Amazon, contaminating at least six miles of the waterway, according to Peruvian authorities.

They say an unknown quantity of toxic waste water escaped from the Atacocha mine, owned by Brazilian firm Votorantim.

Peru’s water authority granted Atacocha a permit in 2011 to remove metals, including mercury and cadmium, from the mine’s waste and release the treated water into the Huallaga river.

The area where the spill occurred is in the Andes mountains at about 13,000ft.