Seville - Workers began a clean-up yesterday following a toxic waste spill that has created one of Spain's worst ecological disasters. Crews hauled away the first truck-loads of seven million tonnes of acidic mud left on the banks of the Guadiamar River after a mine reservoir ruptured on April 25th, sending toxic material flowing downstream.
The owner of the mine, Canadian-Swedish conglomerate Boliden, will pay for the cleanup and guarantee farmers reimbursement for poisoned crops. Prime Minister Mr Jose Maria Aznar, in his first public comments on the spill, promised the victims would not be forgotten.