More clashes over wildcat mining in Peru

The decision followed the government’s approval in January of a widespread ban on Peru’s US$3 billion dollar illegal mining trade. The practice has led to extensive deforestation and other environmental damage in the country and is known to be hazardous to human health.
According to a recent study by the Carnegie Institution for Science, more than three out of four adults in the region, which is well known for its illegal gold-mining trade, had hair mercury concentrations exceeding levels that are considered safe by international standards.
http://www.miningenvironmental.com/enviromine/more-clashes-over-wildcat-mining-in-peru