El Salvador Fights to Protect Water from Mining Contamination

The Central American country of El Salvador is in the midst of a battle to save its water. Twenty-five percent of the rural population do not have access to potable water, and an estimated 90% of the country’s surface water is believed to be “heavily contaminated”. A preliminary report released last month on the effects of gold mining on El Salvador’s water supply reveals that in areas where mining was conducted, local populations experienced high rates of cancer, kidney failure, and diseases of the nervous system. A 2012 study of the San Sebastián river by a government agency showed that the river contained 9 times the acceptable level of cyanide, and 1,000 times the acceptable level of iron. The river is now famous for its unnaturally orange-colored contaminated water.
http://borgenproject.org/el-salvador-fights-to-protect-water-from-mining-contamination/