Wednesday 24 October 2018 Mr Ciaran McCreanor, Dalradian Gold Ltd
In a wide-ranging 75-minute talk Mr McCreanor addressed a number of issues including local employment, waste management, gas emissions, gold reserves, environmental impact, tunnel tours and the future of the company. He stressed the measures in place to minimise the effects of mining operations on the landscape and the planning in place to restore the area to its former state when mining ceased. Concerns about waste water were raised because cyanide is used in the process that separates the gold from the rock. It was explained that much of the water is recycled and what is ultimately released back into the rivers is treated to the point that it is purer than water coming into the plant from Sperrin streams. There are no lakes or lagoons from which polluted water might leach into the soil or seep into water courses. On-going testing of the river system showed no harm to any fish or the micro-organisms on which they feed. The speaker was up-beat about the future of mining in the region, quoting estimates of over 6 million ounces of gold in the Sperrins with the potential to generate over £5 billion worth of business over the lifetime of the operation – a period of time he described as “generational”. He was thanked for his detailed talk and invitation to visit the mine by Probus Vice-President, Oliver Loughran.