Uganda: Leaders from gold-rich area urge govt. to ban mercury use in mining due to negative impact on health

However, the leaders argue that the use or mercury endangers not only the lives of the miners but also the environment and thus want it banned. In different interviews with Oil in Uganda, the leaders implored Government to help miners get an alternative to mercury use. Simon Nangiro, the Chairman of Karamoja Artisanal Miners Association said although mercury is used in extracting gold, it should not be used by artisanal miners who are ignorant about the health hazards associated with it. “Mercury is very dangerous for people who are not trained on how to use it like our Karimojong and also it is contaminating water that animals and same people drink because they do not have knowledge of specified places where it flows,” he said.
read more... https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/uganda-leaders-from-gold-rich-area-urge-govt-to-ban-mercury-use-in-mining-due-to-negative-impact-on-health