A bill to limit the use of mercury in mining and other industrial processes is being discussed in the Colombian senate. The draft law has received the support of the Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development, Juan Gabriel Uribe, who warned that mercury was very dangerous for public health and ecosystems, during a public debate on the draft law.
His ministry has implemented pilot projects to try and reduce the use of mercury in gold mining and to demonstrate the substance could be replaced, in the future. According to a Columbian study carried out by the ministry, together with the University of Antioquia, in 2010, gold mining was responsible for releasing most mercury into the environment in 2009.
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