ABSTRACT
A farmer stands in his field, staring in horrified awe at the stream of black waste flowing onto his land from an adjacent river. This scene occurred on April 29, 1998, when a waste reservoir in southern Spain burst, releasing toxic sludge into waterways and onto surrounding farmland. The reservoir served as a holding area for zinc, lead, iron, and cadmium wastes from a nearby Canadian-owned zinc mine. The dangerous waste posed both an immediate and long-term threat to the health and livelihoods of locals and to the environment. Crops were ruined and land was contaminated by
the toxic mess. Locals complained of burning eyes and throats. Ten tons of dead fish and shellfish were carted away from the acidic waters. With shock and dismay, people wondered at the odds of this unexpected event. A shift in the Earth apparently sent the reservoir wall tumbling, releasing millions of cubic feet of metal waste into the surrounding region. This event typifies the multitude of environmental risks facing the world today. These types of risks are uncertain and unexpected, and the consequences can be severe, even deadly.
