The specter of what locals call “toxic mining” – a reference to the use of cyanide for mineral extraction – has cast a shadow over Baja California Sur that has grown rapidly over the past two years. A well-organized and well-funded opposition to mining projects pushed by Canadian junior exploration companies like Argonaut Gold and Vista Gold emerged in 2010, uniting ranchers, hotel owners, and local residents against modern mining.
The primary issue for locals is the already-scarce water supply, which they say would be put at unnecessary risk by mining. “Well, we’re sure that there’s been 90,000 hectares of land concessioned in Baja Sur, we don’t know how many projects there are already,” said Juan Angel TransviƱo, a geologist born and raised in Baja California Sur. “There’s two strips with a high concentration of gold and silver that are each about 30 km long, a lot of projects could fit in there.”
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