Opposition lawmakers in Colombia have proposed a bill that aims to cut the use of mercury and other toxic chemicals in illegal gold mining, that has polluted rivers and blighted the ancestral lands of indigenous tribes.
Colombia has one of the highest rates of mercury contamination in the Americas. The chemical - widely used to extract gold - seeps into the food chain and causes soil erosion and health problems.
The bill, proposed by two congressmen this week, aims to impose stricter penalties on those who use mercury and other chemicals such as cyanide in mining operations with prison sentences of up to 12 years and tougher fines.
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