n addition to security concerns, artisanal mining is also viewed as a source of environmental degradation. Colombia has the highest rate of mercury pollution in the world and other harmful chemicals like cyanide are often used in small-scale mining operations, polluting nearby bodies of water and seeping into the ground. Although the detrimental effects of artisanal mining are real and worrisome, the pollution caused by large-scale, industrial mining is far greater and more harmful. The Cerrejón mine in La Guajira, for example, has “polluted rivers, caused lung diseases, made land fallow and displaced communities.” Moreover, local campaigns have been launched to teach artisanal miners how to mine sustainably.
http://witness4peace.blogspot.com/2012/07/gold-rush-in-colombia-part-2.html
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