Gold Threatens Slice Of Amazon & Crowdfunding Saves Another

Primitive methods to extract the precious metal, of which an estimated 35 metric tons is being dumped every year into the region’s streams, rivers and the jungle.
Since roughly one fifth of Peru’s annual total of 175 metric tons of gold is produced there, it’s no wonder that recent efforts by Puerto Maldonado local officials to halt illegal mining have been met with violence.
http://colltales.com/2012/01/04/rainforest-mezzanine/