Colombia Grants Legal Rights to the Polluted Atrato River

The Atrato River’s troubles come largely from illegal gold mining. Despite the overwhelming level of mercury pollution caused by all this mining activity, the Colombian government has done little to stem the contamination, according to this decision. In fact, a shocking 90 percent of the mercury used during mining is simply discarded into the river.

Colombia aims to base its economy on mining, unfortunately. This priority automatically puts the environment and indigenous populations at a disadvantage, given that the mining process relies on mercury to extract the desired gold.

Sadly, many who rely on the river don’t even know that the fish they regularly take from its waters are laden with mercury poisoning.

http://www.care2.com/causes/colombia-grants-legal-rights-to-the-polluted-atrato-river.html

Artisanal' miners in El Salvador face ruin as ban comes into force

“We’re lucky if we get $20 or $40 every two days. There are weeks when we don’t find any gold,” he says. Soza has worked all his life as a güirisero, the Salvadoran term for a small-scale, artisanal miner. He works five days a week inside an underground mine, dragging carts filled with heavy rocks or dealing with the hazards of mercury, yet he barely makes enough money to support his wife and two children. But Soza refuses to complain.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/20/artisanal-miners-in-el-salvador-face-ruin-as-ban-comes-into-force

Africa Drives Global Action Against Mercury Use

According to the Zero Mercury Working Group, artisanal and small scale gold mining (ASGM)  is a complex global development issue. It uses and releases substantial amounts of mercury in mineral processing, usually in highly unsafe and environmentally hazardous conditions.

Haji Rehani, a Senior Programme Officer at the Agenda for Environment and Response Development in Tanzania, who works closely with artisanal and small scale gold mining communities, says, “This kind of mining is the largest demand sector for mercury globally.”

http://www.military-technologies.net/2017/05/30/africa-drives-global-action-against-mercury-use/

Kenya: State to adopt safe practices in gold mining

He said the continued use of mercury posed a danger to miners, their families and the environment.

"The ministry, therefore, supports this project whose objective is to reduce mercury release through introduction and promotion of best practices and techniques for gold extraction," he said.

Small-scale mining has thrived since the 19th century and is concentrated in the Lake Victoria belt.

Most gold mining is carried out in Narok, Migori, Homa Bay, Siaya, Vihiga, Kakamega, Siaya, Nandi, West Pokot and Turkana counties.

Environment principal secretary, Charles Sunkuli, said as small-scale mining grew, haphazard processes had led to health hazards.

http://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/608/162571.html

VICE Documentary: Mining the Golden Mountains of Suriname With An Ex-Rebel Leader

VICE Netherlands went to Suriname to see how gold is intertwined with everyday life in the country. They ride along with ‘Jungle’ Ronnie Brunswick – an ex-rebel leader who waged a violent civil war but is now a successful businessman, owning thousands of hectares of gold mining land. VICE Netherlands also witnessed the dangers of mercury, which is used widely in the recovery of gold, and visited Benz Village, where everything in life is paid for with gold.
http://www.thedocus.com/mining-the-golden-mountains-of-suriname-with-an-ex-rebel-leader-documentary

State to adopt safe practices in gold mining

The project is expected to devise environmentally-friendly mercury-free methods of gold extraction.

During a meeting between the UN, the government and stakeholders to draw a plan for the project on Friday, experts said there was serious threat of mercury exposure as a new gold rush picked up.

“Mercury is highly toxic but it is used in artisanal gold mining and processing,” Mr Raymond Mutiso, the director of mines at the Mining ministry, said.

"It pollutes rivers, air and contaminates land. It can also cause illness in people and animals."

http://www.nation.co.ke/news/UN-to-fund-mercury-free-gold-mining-in-Kenya/1056-3945668-5wyu6m/index.html

Project launched to stop use of mercury by artisanal gold miners

Mercury is often used in artisanal and small scale gold mining to help separate gold from sediments or ore using very basic processing methods. However exposure to mercury – even small amounts – may cause serious health problems, and is particularly dangerous to the development of the child in utero and early in life.

The project was launched in Nairobi last week by Kenyan cabinet secretary, ministry of mining Dan Kazungu and principle secretary Charles Sunkuli, and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) country director, Amanda Serumaga.

https://www.miningreview.com/news/project-launched-to-stop-use-of-mercury-by-artisanal-gold-miners/

Armed police deployed as gold rush hits Zaka

The gold rush to the village, which is some 20km west of Jerera Growth Point, has forced government to deploy heavily armed police to restore order in the area where the panners have caused serious land degradation.
http://newzimbabwe.com/news-37398-Gold+rush+Heavily+armed+cops+deployed/news.aspx

Project to stop use of mercury in mining underway

UNDP is supporting the Government of Kenya in the development and implementation of the GEF GOLD project for Kenya with a budget of 4.2 million US$. The project aims to do this through the provision of technical assistance, technology transfer and facilitating access to financing for the procurement of mercury-free processing equipment.
https://www.newsghana.com.gh/project-to-stop-use-of-mercury-in-mining-underway/amp/

Media Advisory: Launch of Project to Stop Use of Mercury by Small Scale Gold Miners

Gold Mining (ASGM) is the largest global source of mercury releases into the environment from human activities, with about 35% of total releases from a number of ASGM sites in over 70 countries. The ASGM sector produces approximately 20% of the worlds annual gold, employs around 15 million people (of which 3 million women and children), while another 100 million people are indirectly dependent on ASGM for their livelihoods.Mercury is often used in ASGM to help separate gold from sediments or ore using very basic processing methods. 
http://www.latestnigeriannews.com/news/4477518/media-advisory-launch-of-project-to-stop-use-of-mercury-by-small-scale-gold-mine.html

Miners get Ksh2bn to curb mercury use in mining

Artisanal and small scale gold miners will benefit from a two billion shillings funding from the global environment facility to minimize the use of mercury in their activities.

The move is aimed at aligning small scale gold miners with the 2013 Minamata Convention on Mercury’s agreement that banned the use of mercury in mining for health and environment conservation reasons.

http://www.kbctv.co.ke/blog/2017/05/26/miners-get-ksh2bn-minimize-use-of-mercury-in-mining/

Peru Authorities Struggle to Combat Illegal Mining as Deforestation Continues

The recent deforestation figures in Madre de Dios highlight not only the environmental damage caused by illegal mining, but also the inability of the government to stop these harmful illicit activities.

Deforestation is only one of the many environmental challenges linked to the illicit extraction of minerals. A 2016 report by Peru's National Civil Defense Institute (Instituto Nacional de Defensa Civil – INDECI) found that several hundred Madre de Dios inhabitants may be exposed to dangerous levels of mercury, a toxic metal often used in illicit extraction of gold. And in May 2016, the Peruvian government announced a 60-day state of emergency in the department due to mercury contamination linked to illegal mining.

http://www.insightcrime.org/news-briefs/peru-authorities-struggle-combat-illegal-mining-deforestation-continues

Africa: A Victory in the Fight Against Toxic Pollution

I have seen with my own eyes how children in Ghana, the Philippines, Tanzania, and Mali have been exposed to this toxic substance. Twelve-year-old "Kwame" in Ghana showed me a small bottle of mercury he always carried with him. He mixed mercury into the ore to create a gold-mercury amalgam, and then burnt this over a fire at home to retrieve the raw gold, breathing in its toxic fumes.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201705240227.html

Only 12 mining engineers available in Ghana; Deputy Min needs over 100

Government, civil society and the media have begun a massive campaign to end indiscriminate mining in Ghana.

The galamsey mining has polluted the country's water bodies, fouled our farmlands and destroyed the environment in general.

There are fears Ghana may soon be importing water if the current state of pollution of the country's water bodies is not stopped.

http://www.myjoyonline.com/news/2017/May-24th/only-12-mining-engineers-available-in-ghana-deputy-min-needs-over-100.php

Barrick Gold Down 13% Since Spill of Cyanide Solution

Since the breakage of a pipe carrying the cyanide solution used in the heap leaching process at Argentina's Veladero mine on March 28 – which led the Argentinean authorities to restrict Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE:ABX) in the use of the solution – the shares of the biggest gold producer in the world tumbled on the stock market.
https://www.gurufocus.com/news/524632/barrick-gold-down-13-since-spill-of-cyanide-solution

Illegal Gold Mining in Costa Rica Suggests Diversifying Criminal Landscape

In conjunction with the growth of illegal gold mining, the illicit trafficking of mercury may also be increasing, a separate report from La Nación suggests. Costa Rican border guards made their most recent seizure of nearly two kilograms of illegal mercury on May 13 in the area near Las Crucitas. 

Greivin Rodríguez, an expert in illicit mining in Las Crucitas, told La Nación that in addition to weapons, illegal miners often bring significant amounts of mercury with them.

http://www.insightcrime.org/news-briefs/illegal-gold-mining-costa-rica-suggests-diversifying-criminal-landscape

A New Central American Alliance Against Mining

Although Honduras, Guatemala, and now El Salvador have since passed newer legislation, these laws set off a wave of new mining projects in the region. Twenty years later, the region is facing the negative impacts of those projects, said Landa. These include pollution, ecosystem destruction, water scarcity, health problems, and community divisions. But mining is also often linked to violence. Honduras, for example, is one of the most dangerous countries in the world for environmental defenders, according to the London-based NGO Global Witness, Landa pointed out.
http://nacla.org/news/2017/05/24/new-central-american-alliance-against-mining

Galamsey gamble

Galamsey – or small-scale miners – have become an easy target. They are accused of horrendous environmental damage, cutting down forests, poisoning rivers with mercury and cyanide, and exploiting child labour. But their operations were facilitated and often financed by local and foreign business networks that pay off local chieftains, politicians and security officers.

http://www.theafricareport.com/West-Africa/galamsey-gamble.html

Africa: A Victory in the Fight Against Toxic Pollution

The fight against global toxic pollution has reached a critical milestone: the 50th country has ratified the United Nations Minamata Convention on Mercury, triggering its entry into force in August.

Mercury is a shiny liquid metal whose largest use globally is small-scale gold mining; other areas of use include manufacturing and industrial processes. But mercury is toxic. It attacks the nervous system, can result in life-long disability, and is very harmful to children. In higher doses, it can kill.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201705240227.html

Barrick Gold risks sanctions in Argentina after cyanide spill

San Juan's city government in Argentina suspended the addition of cyanide to Veladero's gold processing facility after the latest spill. Government gave also the mine an ultimatum to overhaul safety and environmental operations.

Barrick Gold Corp failed to complete improvements to the Veladero mine in Argentina that could have prevented the third spill of cyanide solution in 18 months, leading to eventual sanctions for the world’s biggest gold miner, a judge said to Reuters.

http://www.miningmetalnews.com/20170522/62/barrick-gold-risks-sanctions-argentina-after-cyanide-spill

Ghana: Illegal miners smuggled $7bn worth of gold in 2016

He said DCEs should be made to sign key performance indicators, including the protection of the environment and punishment of those who should have acted but failed to do so.

He expressed surprise at the fact that the law made DCEs the heads of district security committees and district mining committees but they had allowed wanton destruction of the environment to continue in their areas of jurisdiction.
 http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/illegal-miners-smuggled-7bn-worth-of-gold-in-2016.html

Gold Mining and its Environmental Impact

The use of mercury in gold mining is causing a global health and environmental crisis. Mercury, a liquid metal, is used in artisanal and small-scale gold mining to extract gold from rock and sediment. Unfortunately, mercury is a toxic substance that wreaks havoc on miners’ health, not to mention the health of the planet.

For every gram of gold produced, artisanal gold miners release about two grams of mercury into the environment. Together, the world’s 10 to 15 million artisanal gold miners release about 1000 tons of mercury into the environment each year, or 35 percent of man-made mercury pollution. Artisanal gold mining is actually among the leading causes of global mercury pollution, ahead of coal-fired power plants.

http://www.lawyersclubindia.com/articles/Gold-Mining-and-its-Environmental-Impact-8173.asp

Large quantity of sodium cyanide uncovered in Kumasi

Security officials in the Ashanti Region, Kumasi, have uncovered a huge quantity of Sodium cyanide, a cancerous substance used in mining, in a residential facility.

The discovery comes on the heels of the visit of the Lands and Natural Resource Minister, John Peter Amewu, to the region to garner support against a sweeping ban on mining.

Sodium Cyanide is widely used by small scale miners as well as illegal miners to extract gold.

http://pulse.com.gh/news/galamsey-large-quantity-of-sodium-cyanide-uncovered-in-kumasi-id6713806.html

Government To Deploy Drones To Fight Galamsey

She said Government is not against mining, but against the approach adopted by some miners which is destroying the environment and water bodies.

She therefore called for concerted efforts by all stakeholders to collectively curb the menace.

The Deputy Minister said Government will implement Multilateral Mining Integrated Program where miners affected by the ban on small-scale mining will be offered alternative livelihood program such as Palm plantation, agro-business, tree planting among others, to sustain them economically.
http://peacefmonline.com/pages/local/social/201705/315087.php

Colombia’s constitutional court grants rights to the Atrato River and orders the government to clean up its waters

The deforested moonscapes in the dense and humid green jungles are filled up with yellow excavators and humming mineral processing plants. Pits full of contaminated soils and waters are being searched for shiny flecks of gold. The poisonous mercury that is used in the applied extraction process causes numerous health and environmental problems in the predominantly riverine communities and, as the court affirms, has contaminated the Atrato River.
https://news.mongabay.com/2017/05/colombias-constitutional-court-grants-rights-to-the-atrato-river-and-orders-the-government-to-clean-up-its-waters/

Government to deploy drones in fight to end galamsey

Government would soon deploy drones to monitor water bodies across the country in the quest to halt illegal mining popularly called galamsey in Ghana.

Madam Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, the Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources; made this known in Kumasi at a stakeholders meeting on Friday.

She said Government would use technology to fight illegal mining and warned persons involved in the practice to put an end to it before the law catches up with them.

https://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2017/05/20/government-to-deploy-drones-in-fight-to-end-galamsey/

Galamsey: It’s impacts on health and the environment; the way forward

Generations unborn are going to suffer from long-term health implications of toxic chemicals such as mercury as these heavy metals pollute surface and underground waters that from the long term health implications that would not manifest immediately but in the near future.

Mercury apart from its advantage of helping in the construction of very important health instruments, it poses a greater health risk should it find it way in the human body with its ability to destroy the central nervous system in the matter of days. Miners use mercury in the form of mercury powder and the pollution caused to surface and underground water are highly toxic to humans.

Ghanaians are now faced with the problem of drinking and inhaling of gaseous mercury; immediately this gaseous mercury mixes with the blood, it has the potency because of the volume to permeate the blood brain barrier disrupting the structure and functioning, causing electrolyte imbalances, and serious psychological and physiological damages to the sufferer.
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/Galamsey-It-s-impacts-on-health-and-the-environment-the-way-forward-539678

'Artisanal' miners in El Salvador face ruin as ban comes into force

“We’re lucky if we get $20 or $40 every two days. There are weeks when we don’t find any gold,” he says. Soza has worked all his life as a güirisero, the Salvadoran term for a small-scale, artisanal miner. He works five days a week inside an underground mine, dragging carts filled with heavy rocks or dealing with the hazards of mercury, yet he barely makes enough money to support his wife and two children. But Soza refuses to complain.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/20/artisanal-miners-in-el-salvador-face-ruin-as-ban-comes-into-force

Ghana-Cote d’Ivoire relations - Illegal gold mining a bane?

The news that uncontrolled and improperly managed small-scale mining has destroyed hundreds of hectares of land and polluted water bodies – is disheartening.

For example, rivers, such as the Ankobra, Bia, Birim, Tano and Offin, have been polluted in an alarming way.

What is known as galamsey mining has also polluted some water bodies – rivers and a lagoon – in Cote d’Ivoire.

Ghana’s Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Prof Kwamena Frimpong Boateng, who was in that country, has said that he was confronted there with complaints about galamsey mining in Ghana and river pollution.

http://www.graphic.com.gh/features/features/ghana-cote-d-ivoire-relations-illegal-gold-mining-a-bane.html

UN-backed treaty on mercury to enter into force; ‘pivotal moment’ in combat against harmful chemicals

UNEP also pointed out that there are no safe levels of exposure to mercury and everyone is at risk because the dangerous heavy metal has spread to the remotest parts of the earth and can be found in everyday products, including cosmetics, lightbulbs, batteries and teeth fillings.

Children, newborn and unborn babies are most vulnerable, along with populations who eat contaminated fish, those who use mercury at work, and people who live near of a source of mercury pollution or in colder climates where the dangerous heavy metal tends to accumulate.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=56799#.WSBGVvkrK5g

Peru authorities, U.S. Ambassador overfly illegal mining areas

The activity took place within the framework of U.S. Science Envoy Thomas Lovejoy's recent visit to Peru.

Lovejoy, a renowned tropical biologist, is described by WWF as the innovative and accomplished conservation biologist who coined the term "biological diversity."

 

Last January, Lovejoy gave a presentation in Madre de Dios on sustainable development as part of the Dialogue on the Peruvian Action Plan under the Minamata Convention on Mercury, recently ratified by the Andean country. 

http://www.andina.com.pe/Ingles/noticia-peru-authorities-us-ambassador-overfly-illegal-mining-areas-667523.aspx

50th ratification triggers entry into force of Minamata Convention in 90 days

The world took a historic step forward in the fight against mercury poisoning today, as the European Union and seven of its member states (Bulgaria, Denmark, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Romania and Sweden) ratified the Minamata Convention on Mercury, one of the world’s top ten chemical threats to health.

The Convention, which has been signed by 128 countries, will now come into force in 90 days, on 16 August 2017. It is the first new global Convention related to the environment and health in close to a decade, and commits governments to specific measures to control man-made mercury pollution. These cover the entire “lifecycle” of man-made mercury pollution and include banning new mercury mines, phasing-out existing ones, regulating artisanal and small-scale gold mining, and reducing emissions and mercury use. Since the element is indestructible, the Convention also stipulates conditions for interim storage and disposal of mercury waste.

http://www.unep.org/newscentre/new-convention-calls-time-mercury-poisoning

Questions and answers: EU mercury policy and the ratification of the Minamata Convention

A particularly problematic activity at the moment involves the use of mercury in artisanal small-scale gold mining, mostly in Africa, Asia and South America. It is estimated that between 10 and 15 million people (including 3 million women and children) are involved worldwide in artisanal mining and that this activity accounts for annual use of 1,400 tonnes of mercury, most of which ends up in the environment.
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-17-1344_en.htm

Venezuelan NGO asks government to kill Mining Arch decree

The activists say it is urgent to update and put into effect the Plan for the Territorial Management of the Bolívar State, so that the economic and social activities that take place in the area go hand in hand with an adequate care for the environment. It must be noted that the state is already facing dire environmental threats caused by a sprawling illegal mining industry.
http://www.mining.com/venezuelan-ngo-asks-government-kill-mining-arch-decree/

Responsible and conflict-free artisinal gold supply chain in Eastern Congo

“Proving that artisanal gold in eastern Congo can be conflict-free, legal and traceable is a major step in responsible sourcing efforts in the Great Lakes region. The government of Democratic Republic of Congo is taking major strides in complying with regional standards and demonstrating how the implementation the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains can contribute to progressive improvements in the sector, supporting artisanal gold men and women miners to enter international markets,” said Lebert.
http://www.miningglobal.com/operations/2295/Responsible-and-conflict-free-artisinal-gold-supply-chain-in-Eastern-Congo

As more people flock to Niger's gold mines, economic boon may become a new migration risk

Mining is also taking its toll on the local landscape. To increase gold production, several environmentally damaging chemical products, including cyanide, acids, detergents, and explosives, are used by most miners, especially small-scale ones. Their use contaminates soil and destroys ground cover.

Amalgamation, a technique for extracting gold from ore using mercury, is particularly damaging. In the distillation phase, generally carried out in the open air at placer mining sites, a significant portion of the chemical enters the environment as a polluting vapour.

http://menafn.com/1095479867/As-more-people-flock-to-Nigers-gold-mines-economic-boon-may-become-a-new-migration-risk

Philippians: Split it (DENR)

“There can be no ‘bleeding heart’ concern for the small guy when it comes to mining. You use picks and shovels, fine. But give them to a 12-year-old kid. You’re closed. And thrown in jail, I would hope. You use mercury to leach out the gold, you’re finished.”
http://opinion.inquirer.net/103901/split-it

Making gold greener? :: Our Planet

Perhaps the most insidious aspect of this, both for people and the environment, is the use of mercury to recover minute gold fragments dispersed in soil and rocky sediments. A heavy metal found in the natural environment, mercury can become highly toxic when used in its elemental – or liquid – form. Liquid mercury evaporates even at relatively low ambient temperature, and can be dispersed over long distances by the wind. It binds with gold to form an amalgam, which is then heated to a high temperature to vaporise the mercury and extract the precious metal. This is often done with rudimentary equipment such as a blowtorch or – in the worst circumstances – over stoves in the miners' own homes. Sometimes cyanide is used on the mining tailings to extract yet more gold, and it combines with the mercury to make compounds that are easily dispersed in water and taken up in food chains.

Breathing in mercury can damage the nervous, digestive, and immune systems. Ingesting it can cause the condition called Minamata Disease, after a coastal city in Japan where humans and animals ate mercury-laden fish and shellfish from the local bay. Its most notable symptoms are convulsions, loss of muscle coordination, and damage to vision, speech, and hearing. Pregnant women exposed to the toxic metal are susceptible to giving birth to babies with congenital diseases.

http://www.unep.org/ourplanet/march-2017/articles/making-gold-greener#.WRV7W-SCYbA.twitter

Illegal Peruvian Gold: Bigger Than Cocaine

Life in La Rinconada is essentially the worst parts of any third-world settlement, except located three miles high in the Peruvian Andes. It's a cold, sad, and dirty place.

The denizens of La Rinconada are among the poorest and most desperate in Peru, willing to risk life and limb to work in toxic conditions, only to find tiny bits of the yellow metal hidden in the dark and dirty ice.

And they get paid in dirt!

The miners get paid under what they call the cachorreo system. Under this system, miners work for 30 days without payment. Then, on the 31st day, they are paid in ore — as much as they can carry home on their shoulders. But whether or not the ore contains any gold is a matter of luck. The cachorreo system is essentially a lottery.

https://www.wealthdaily.com/articles/illegal-peruvian-gold-bigger-than-cocaine/8666

March for Science

The big issue here is the contamination of watersheds with toxic mine tailings.

Farmers, fisher folks and indigenous peoples depend on watersheds for fresh clean water. However, these affected individuals are being convinced by mining companies by assuring economic growth for their locality, which would raise their standard of living. In this case, scientific knowledge about the nature of toxic chemicals, e.g., mercury and cyanide present in mine tailings, is needed by the locals in order for them to understand its effects on humans and the natural ecosystem as a whole.

https://opinion.inquirer.net/103864/march-for-science

Galamsey: An enemy of Ghana’s arable lands and water bodies

No one can retort that the operations of Galamsey which has become a national canker have left numerous acres of land across the country especially in the Eastern, Western, Central and Ashanti region in mining areas wild and degraded. The lands are also polluted, making it weak for Agricultural purposes. Chemicals used for extracting gold for instance, mercury, cyanide and other complex chemicals are discharged into the soil and these have dispossessed the land of its natural properties to perform it natural functions to mankind.
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/Galamsey-An-enemy-of-Ghana-s-arable-lands-and-water-bodies-536226

Tanzania’s Formalization of Artisanal and Small-scale Mining

Artisanal and Small-scale mining (ASM) continues to be a major source of hope for millions of peasants and rural entrepreneurs worldwide. Yet, it also poses challenges for states in terms of regulation and capturing resource rents for national development. The sector has been widely studied in social science and has interested me for the past 15 years, ever since I became involved in the Communities and Artisanal Small Scale Mining Initiative (CASM) which operated until 2012, and whose archived material is maintained.  Donors remain interested in this sector through various efforts, most recently, UNDP’s Development Minerals program which exclusively focuses on ASM in the neglected non-metallic industrial minerals. ASM has also come into greater limelight in the gold sector because of concerns around mercury usage for gold processing in ASM. The signing of the Minamata Convention to phase out mercury has led to additional release of donor funds in this arena. The impact of all these activities to improve the development outcomes of ASM remains to be seen. 
https://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2017/05/11/tanzania/

Colombia calls governments to stop ‘blood gold’ trafficking

As well as funding Colombia’s five-decade conflict, "blood gold" has made of Colombia one of the nations with the highest rates of mercury contamination in Latin America. It is followed closely by Peru, where the government has been fighting for years against the illicit extraction of gold.

Illegal miners use mercury to separate the gold from rock and then dump the chemical into water streams. They often handle the neurotoxin with their bare hands and inhale its fumes when it is burned off.

http://www.mining.com/colombia-calls-governments-stop-blood-gold-trafficking/

Judge in Argentina warns Barrick Gold as spills continue

Barrick Gold failed to complete improvements to the Veladero mine in Argentina that could have prevented the third spill of cyanide solution in 18 months, leading to eventual sanctions for the world’s biggest gold miner, a judge says.

Barrick appeared to have missed deadlines on three orders from local authorities, including replacing pipes, before the spill on March 28, said Pablo Oritja, the judge overseeing cases related to Veladero in the town of Jachal, where "Barrick out" graffiti lines the streets.

https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/companies/mining/2017-05-09-judge-in-argentina-warns-barrick-gold-as-spills-continue/

Stamp out galamsey due to its negative effects

Results from the field observations in the study area revealed that major rivers in the area such as Ankobra and Asesree, which used to serve as the main sources of water for domestic purpose in the surrounding townships, had been heavily polluted by mining activities especially those of illegal small-scale mining Galamsey. Mining, especially surface mining results in adverse environmental impacts on water bodies (rivers and streams) in Ghana through a release of effluents such as mercury, arsenic and solid suspensions. 
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/Stamp-out-galamsey-due-to-its-negative-effects-536233

Colombia urges international regulation to curb ‘blood gold’: report

In the first decade of the 21st century, two trends intersected: soaring gold prices greatly increased the profitability of gold mining, whilst the US led “War on Drugs”, notably in Colombia and Mexico (‘Plan Colombia’ and the ‘Mérida Initiative’), sharply reduced the profitability of drug trafficking from Latin America to the USA. As a result, there were considerable incentives for the criminal groups that control the drug trade to move into gold mining, and the fragmented nature of artisanal gold mining in Latin America greatly facilitated their entry.
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-urges-international-regulation-curb-blood-gold-bloomberg/

Mercury: A Global Challenge of Immense Proportions

Mercury is one of the most toxic metals known and no essential role is known for it in either human or animal nutrition [1]. Toxic effects of Hg in localized geographical areas, such as the Almadan deposit in Spain, were well known millennia ago. Global industrial growth during the past two centuries has required mining large quantities of base metals, traditional and artisanal mining of large amounts of Au, and the combustion of large amounts of coal for energy purposes. Mercury is either found embedded in these sources in small quantities or is used in processing ores, as in the case of Au.
https://investorintel.com/sectors/cleantech/cleantech-intel/mercury-global-challenge-immense-proportions/

Study: North Shore women who switched fish meals lowered mercury

Women along the North Shore who reduced their meals of higher-mercury fish and instead ate lower-mercury fish reduced the mercury level in their blood by an average of 40 percent, according to results of a Minnesota Department of Health study released Monday.

The study of 499 women in Cook County, including many members of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, found that 3 percent of the women tested had elevated mercury levels.

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/health/4263649-study-north-shore-women-who-switched-fish-meals-lowered-mercury

Brazil prosecutors demand crackdown on illegal gold mining in Amazon's "El Dorado"

With Brazil's suffering through its worst recession in a century and high global gold prices, illegal miners have polluted the area with mercury and other chemicals to separate gold from grit while authorities have failed to enforce the law, the prosecutor said.

Mercury, a highly toxic metal, is released into the environment then travels up the food chain to fish, fish-eating mammals and also humans, endangering the health of indigenous people living closest to illegal gold mining operations.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-crime-landrights-idUSKBN1841PJ

Letter to the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child on Tanzania

• Children are involved in every phase of the mining process. They dig and drill in deep, unstable pits during shifts of up to 24 hours. They transport heavy bags of gold ore and crush the ore into powder. After concentrating the gold further, children mix the powder with mercury and water in a pan. The mercury attracts the gold particles, creating a gold-mercury amalgam. Children burn the amalgam to evaporate the mercury and recover the gold. Children who work in mining are exposed to serious health risks, including: accidents in deep pits, injuries from dangerous tools, respiratory diseases, and musculoskeletal problems.
• https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/05/08/letter-african-committee-experts-rights-and-welfare-child-tanzania

Big Picture: The boy in the Amazonian longhouse

Journalist Laura Sofía Mejía journeyed to the most remote regions of the Colombian Amazon to document the impact of illegal gold mining in the rainforest, and the environmental damage caused by mercury in rivers upon which indigenous tribes depend. The audiovisual project Una Parte por Millón has been documenting the community Puerto Remanso de los Miraña Bora since 2014 and how the presence of gold miners along the Caquetá River is changing the social practices of traditional populations. While Brazil occupies roughly 60% of the Amazon rainforest Colombia and Peru make up 10% and 13% respectively. The rest is shared between Bolivia, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname and Venezuela.
https://thecitypaperbogota.com/big-picture/big-picture-the-boy-in-the-amazonian-longhouse/17036

Illegal gold mining fuels violence in Colombia

Since the early 2000s, as the price of the precious metal has risen, the region has experienced a violent gold rush as leftist guerrillas, neo-paramilitary outfits and drug trafficking groups have established their presence to control mining operations. Illegally mined gold is fuelling violence as gold has overtaken cocaine as the main source of revenue for armed groups. 

Illegal mining in Colombia brings in approximately $7bn a year (link in Spanish) to armed groups and criminal bands.

Segovia is at the centre of this violence. Almost 20 percent of Colombia's gold is produced in the nearly 50 mines operating there, according to Segovia's mayor's office.

Local villagers - many of them artisanal miners - have been shaken by extortions, threats, territorial disputes and grudge fights. These miners, including rural Colombians from across the country who have come in search of work, working in the mountains or on riverbanks, are forced to pay a "tax" to the armed group that controls their area.

These informal miners have also been killed and forcibly displaced by the armed groups.

"You have to pay them. If not, they will kill you," says Carlos Mario Alvarez, a 60-year-old mining leader.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2016/10/illegal-gold-mining-fuels-violence-colombia-161005063014208.html

Two anti-cyanide protesters arrested in Sudanese capital

He explained that a native administration leader of Sodari had filed a complaint against them after they accused the native administration in the locality of “backing out from its decision to combat the use of cyanide in gold mining”.

In early April this year, people in Sodari in the northern part of North Kordofan took to the streets in protest against the use of cyanide in extracting gold from ore. Fearing for the impact of the highly toxic substance on the environment, in particular the pollution of the water sources in the neighbourhood, they handed a memorandum to the Commissioner of Sodari demanding the removal of the gold cyanidation site in the locality.

https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/two-anti-cyanide-protesters-arrested-in-sudanese-capital

Illegal gold mining fuels violence in Colombia

Since 2015, President Juan Manuel Santos' administration has prioritised cracking down on unlicensed mining in order to cut off a lucrative source of income for armed groups and to curb mercury poisoning in the rivers - traditional miners use the chemical to separate gold from earth and other metals - and other environmental damage, in conjunction with a legalisation programme for the region's traditional miners.
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/inpictures/2016/10/illegal-gold-mining-fuels-violence-colombia-161005063014208.html

Media Coalition against Galamsey involves research scientists in fight against illegal mining

He showed that activities of small-scale miners, especially the illegal ones, degraded the land more than their counterparts in the large-scale sector, due to the weak legal regime.

He said what was even more disturbing was the fact that Chinese miners blocked the watercourse, denied inhabitants their source of drinking water and deteriorated the quality as well.

“The Government of Ghana has a task to improve water quality and also reduce treatment cost. Gold mining brings with it arsenic, mercury and sulphur contamination of water bodies, soil and even air,” Prof. Ansah-Asare added.

http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/media-coalition-against-galamsey-involves-research-scientists-in-fight-against-illegal-mining.html

Galamsey returning – Segyimase, Akrofusu residents express fears

Narrating to Citi News, Akyeanor Tabi said “the genesis of the whole thing is that, the place is under concession, but they released it to galamsey miners. So they [the illegal miners] were doing galamsey, they destroyed the water bodies, they mined without reclaiming and all kind of things.”
https://citifmonline.com/2017/05/05/galamsey-returning-segyimase-akrofusu-residents-express-fears/

Can Illegally Mined Gold Suppress Prices?

The blistering report about Elemetal relied upon information from investigators for the Chilean government, which had been tracking one of the company’s sources on the continent because of suspicions that he was taking illegal gold—perhaps mined in the Amazon using mercury as a catalyst, a very pollution-intensive process—and re-smelting it himself into “Good Delivery” bars that looked legitimate. The report cast some doubt on the innocence of Elemetal employees, who claimed to know nothing about the illegal activity further down its supply chain. The press in South America has been covering the problem for the past two years.
http://blog.gainesvillecoins.com/2017/05/05/can-illegally-mined-gold-suppress-prices/

Why galamsey must be banned – Prestea Chief explains

Chief of Prestea-Himan Traditional Area in the Prestea-Huni Valley District of the Western Region, Nana Ntaboah Prah IV, has revealed that all streams and rivers in Prestea gold prone mining areas are polluted by operations of gold mining companies and ‘galamsey’ operators.
http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/regional/Why-galamsey-must-be-banned-Prestea-Chief-explains-534690

Digong’s drug war up for UN review

Human Rights Watch has also documented how thousands of children—some as young as nine—risk their lives in small-scale gold mines, mostly financed by local businessmen. Children work in unstable 25-meter-deep pits and dive underwater to mine along shores or in rivers. Children also work with mercury, a toxic metal that is commonly used to process gold.
http://thestandard.com.ph/news/top-stories/235827/digong-s-drug-war-up-for-un-review.html

Why Ghana risks queuing for water in the not too distant future (video)

He indicated that activities of small-scale miners especially the illegal ones degraded the land more than their counterpart in the large-scale sector due to weak legal regime.

The director added that that what was more disturbing was the fact that the Chinese blocked the water course, denied inhabitants source of drinking water and deteriorated the quality thereby reducing the quantity of water available to the people for drinking purposes.

“The government of Ghana has a task to improve water quality and also reduce treatment cost. Gold mining brings with it arsenic, mercury and sulphur contamination of water bodies, soil and even air,” Prof. Ansah-Asare added.

http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/why-ghana-risks-queuing-for-water-in-the-not-too-distant-future-video.html

Colombian Court Orders to Save Atrato River From Mining

The ongoing violence between armed groups in the region has also claimed lives and displaced locals. Mercury from illegal mining is poisoning communities that live off the river, according to Colombia Reports. The court ruling pointed out that "only 10 percent of the mercury added to one barrel is combined with gold to form the amalgam, the remaining 90 percent is left over and discarded in water sources.” 
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Colombian-Court-Orders-to-Save-Atrato-River-From-Mining--20170504-0039.html

Uganda: Address Challenges Faced By Women in Mining - MPs, Activists Ask Government

In gold mining, women are exposed to dangerous chemicals like mercury. Whereas the men get the ore or gold sand out of the ground, Nyakecho said women are exposed to mercury during panning for gold which affect their lives. Weighing in on mercury, one of the participants from Amudat district said there is a worrying trend that feet/legs of women working in goldmines are swelling, due to what she suspects could be prolonged exposure to mercury.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201705040163.html

Talensi: Anger flares after Chinese miners “destroy” drinking water

A public outcry over an alleged environmental devastation, expressed in a tone more emotional than any heard in recent times in the Upper East Region, has taken over the Talensi District after some Chinese expatriates allegedly polluted the water consumed by inhabitants of the area through “illegal” mining activities.

Speaking to newsmen at a news conference held Tuesday at Sheaga, east of Talensi, natives visibly angered by the reported pollution and calling themselves Concerned Citizens of Talensi strongly demanded that the Shaanxi Mining Ghana Limited, the company the Chinese miners work for, be evacuated from the district immediately.

“The company has since 2010 been mining in the area but claimed to be providing mining support services to two small-scale mining groups- Pubortaaba Mining Group and Yenyeya Mining Group. The company has since hidden and ridden [on] the back of these small mining groups to carry out mining operations equivalent to large-scale mining and this leads to unhealthy issues.

http://starrfmonline.com/2017/05/03/talensi-anger-flares-after-chinese-miners-destroy-drinking-water/

Tackling Child Labor in the Minerals Supply Chain

Child labor in mining is one of the most dangerous forms of child labor, and is an issue I have documented extensively in small-scale mines in Ghana, Mali, Tanzania, and the Philippines. Children have been injured and killed in mining accidents, suffered poisoning from mercury used in gold processing, and developed respiratory disease from exposure to dust. Yet, gold from mines using child labor has entered the supply chain and reached international gold markets, which provide gold to the electronics sector, jewelry, and banks. 
https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/05/03/tackling-child-labor-minerals-supply-chain

Research advocates greater supervision of mining companies

He said the challenges of environmental degradation and the pollution of water bodies were complex and not only as a result of small-scale mining, popularly known as “galamsey.”

“We need a paradigm shift in the campaign against “galamsey.” The searchlight must also be put on big mining firms and how they are regulated, supervised and monitored,” he said at a maiden colloquium on labour productivity in Accra.

http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/research-advocates-greater-supervision-of-mining-companies.html

Peru Supreme Court rules against Newmont in dispute over gold mine

Newmont put plans to build its Conga mine on hold after violent protests broke out in Peru's northern Cajamarca region, one of the country's poorest and its second-largest in gold production. Environmentalists said the mine would poison local water sources and displace people living and farming there.
http://www.reuters.com/article/peru-mining-newmont-idUSL1N1I51GN

Court orders Colombia to save river from mining. These images should show why

The ongoing violence between the ELN and AGC has killed and displaced locals. Now, mercury from illegal mining is poisoning communities that live off the river, according to the Ombudsman......
The ruling explained that “in general, only 10% of the mercury added to one barrel is combined with gold to form the amalgam, the remaining 90% is left over and discarded in water sources,” which has produced extreme mercury levels in local inhabitants’ bodies –  some with 60 points per million, while the worldwide acceptable norm is thought to be around 0.5 points per million.
http://colombiareports.com/court-orders-colombia-save-river-mining-images-show/

Artisanal, Small and Medium-Scale Women Gold Miners Need Protection from Extraction Chemicals

During a recent field trip by Water Governance Institute staff to the gold mining areas of Mubende district, it was observed that women gold miners were found using Mercury Oxide and Cyanide in gold extraction. These are highly toxic and dangerous substances, which if ingested or gain entry into the human body could result in serious health problems and ultimately death of the affected persons. These chemicals are particularly risky to women, because it is the women that are mostly engaged in extracting the gold from the earth tailings using a mixture of water and any of mentioned chemicals.
http://www.chimpreports.com/artisanal-small-and-medium-scale-women-gold-miners-need-protection-from-extraction-chemicals/

Talensi: Anger flares after Chinese miners “destroy” drinking water

A public outcry over an alleged environmental devastation, expressed in a tone more emotional than any heard in recent times in the Upper East Region, has taken over the Talensi District after some Chinese expatriates allegedly polluted the water consumed by inhabitants of the area through “illegal” mining activities.
http://starrfmonline.com/2017/05/03/talensi-anger-flares-after-chinese-miners-destroy-drinking-water/