The Effects Of Gold Mining In Peru. Ouch.

[IDdesertman]

Are there any bad ways to mine, or is it all "fair game" as long as minerals are being extracted for the cause of human development?

I agree, it's more than a bit hypocritical for us here in the US to scold 3rd world countries about deforestation when we already did (a few hundred years ago) clear cutting and plowing that changed the natural landscape, so we already had our turn, so to speak. Completely unregulated mining that pollutes drinking water with mercury, I'm not sure I can rationalize that to myself by saying that they will appreciate it when they have all the luxuries that come along with it.

Here's another article about mining in Peru I found on Mining.com. It's certainly not just the liberals and greenies who are reporting on this stuff.

http://www.mining.com/mercury-pollution-linked-to-illegal-gold-mining-in-peru-reaches-lethal-levels-73281/

[Au4Gold2]

[fredmason]

maybe He has enough gold, I want MORE.

Hypocrisy is alive and well in all countries and cultures...it is only human.

fred 

[flakmagnet]

Just to be clear; the point of posting the article in the first place was not to politicize it,

or make a some sort of greenie statement. It was to inform those of us

who may have no idea what is happening in other parts of our world.

Here are 2 comments from a related article that IDdesertman posted which sets out a contrast in viewpoints.

The discussion is three years old, so obviously nothing much has happened either way.

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Environmental Research Dept. • 3 years ago

Many countries around the world have this same problem to varying degree's. The big problem is with the large gold companies that own the concessions as they do not want to give the "illegal" miners the proper equipment to extract the gold on their concessions yet the locals have been mining on these properties for hundreds of years and it is their land, the governments are caught between a rock and a hard place. They can't stop the "illegals" from mining but they also can't ask the big gold companies to provide the locals with the proper tools to eliminate mercury use.

 

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  Miro  Environmental Research Dept. • 3 years ago

  Are yo out if your mind? Do yo have idea what you are talking about? I'm a geologist working 16 years for major mining companies here in Peru and all what you are stating in your comment is a pure crap demonstrating you have no idea what you are talking about and you probably never left US o Canada or wherever you are living. This is all about alluvial gold mining genius, none of local or overseas companies are exploiting alluvial gold in Peru at least. Poor illegal miners are hundreds years extracting gold and bad mining companies are throwing them out? What are you living in Inca empire times? These miners are simple bandits, many of them criminals, you should go to their camps and see child prostitution, modern slavery labor, environmental mess you have never seen in your life before and you are defending them? All they do with the monies they make is to drink to death, spend all monies with prostitutes and when they spent it all they will return for more gold. If you would like to see Sodoma Gomorra in your life time you are welcome in Madre de Dios and you are welcome to stay there for while.

   

 

 

 

[Reno Chris]

There certainly are a number of different viewpoints on this. Some geologist who works for large mining companies no question has a dog in the fight and a strong bias toward the mining companies who would employ him - but often the miners keep them out or require some sort of serious compromise to deal with - so the "criminal" miners directly cost him money.

Yup, there is a notable criminal element, and yep a lot of alcohol. Looking at what happened here in the US, it is said that the first 30 men to die in Virginia City were all gunfight injuries, and the number of saloons was astronomical, and there were more than plenty of prostitutes. So Flak says not much has changed in 3 years, heck, not much has changed in 150+ years! The criminals bought off or actually were the criminal element in V.C., so took about 15 years to get enough law abiding citizens to form vigilante groups in V.C. so that they became a scourge to the criminals (and the vigilante groups broke plenty of laws in their own way). (Hey Flak, the VC vigilante groups and their bloody, messy suppression of the criminal elements in VC would make a heck of a movie by the way, so I am offering my services as writer and consultant ).

Many of the governments who take the concession money from the mining companies in South America, Africa and elsewhere are little more than a kleptocracy (a government that basically steals from the treasury and transfers the money to personal bank accounts). The mining companies engage in serious bribery to get those concessions, so its not a clear cut situation of who are the good guys and who are the bad.

It is unfortunate that the miners insist on using mercury. in many places around the world, both governments and NGOs are working to convince them that the mercury is unnecessary. Other than the mercury, the actual surface disturbance and cutting of trees is pretty minor in the big scope of things. 

[hawkeye]

1 hour ago, Reno Chris said:

Yup, there is a notable criminal element, and yep a lot of alcohol. Looking at what happened here in the US, it is said that the first 30 men to die in Virginia City were all gunfight injuries, and the number of saloons was astronomical, and there were more than plenty of prostitutes. So Flak says not much has changed in 3 years, heck, not much has changed in 150+ years! The criminals bought off or actually were the criminal element in V.C., so took about 15 years to get enough law abiding citizens to form vigilante groups in V.C. so that they became a scourge to the criminals (and the vigilante groups broke plenty of laws in their own way).

Many of the governments who take the concession money from the mining companies in South America, Africa and elsewhere are little more than a kleptocracy (a government that basically steals from the treasury and transfers the money to personal bank accounts). The mining companies engage in serious bribery to get those concessions, so its not a clear cut situation of who are the good guys and who are the bad.

As I said, "a sad commentary on our species". The human exploitation is the sad part.

[Clay Diggins]

I'm with Chris on this. These people have as much of a moral right to mine their land as the Californians and the Spanish did in the Motherlode. The gold from the California mines and the silver from the Nevada mines made this country rich. What's so different about Brazilians trying to make a better life with their labor?

I've posted this elsewhere in regards to this popular story.

There is a lot more to this story than "illegal" mining. Read about how Brazil sold permits to these miners and then made it illegal to mine their permitted areas.

Quote

 

The Mining Code of 1967 creates the criteria to claim mineral rights. It also defines rights of land owners and areas available for mining. In 1989, a law introduced the mining permit for small-scale mining activities, to either Brazilian citizens on an individual basis, or to associations constituted as a mining company. Mining permits are issued by the DNPM (National Department of Mineral Production).

In 2006, the Federal Government created seven Nature Conservation Units in the Tapajós region. Many of these units overlap with the small-scale mining reserve of Tapajós, created in 1983 by the Ministry of Mining. By creating these Conservation Units, all mining activities in this area became instantly illegal. Many miners have obtained a mining license before 2006; however, their licenses have not been withdrawn. Also, new applications are still being processed at the office of DNPM. The situation is confusing and causes unrest among the small-scale miners in Tapajós.

 

Include some nonsense about how small miners use thousands of dollars of mercury on their hobbled together dredges to mine hundreds of dollars of gold and you've got a new fantasy evil story for the green press.

[Digger Jones]

On 5/2/2016 at 1:34 PM, Reno Chris said:

I have a very different take on this.  We live in cities formed by leveling forests, tearing down mountains of building stone, destroying animal habitats and draining lakes and wet lands. The poverty stricken residents of these lands want a better life for themselves and their children.  Why is it a horrible environmental tragedy that these people want to develop their natural resources and develop a better life? It is EXACTLY what we have done. Unless you are living the total technology and lifestyle of 500 BC., you are a hypocrite to deny these people the opportunity to better their lives the way our forefathers did. I can tell you as a writer and some one who has long been involved in environmental issues that articles like this are pure propaganda pieces which ignore the facts to gain converts and donations.  

While a lot of what you say is true, we also have laws to keep children and indigenous peoples from being abused.

We have laws that restrict unsustainable development.

We have laws that keep cartels from stealing our resources.

In short we have laws and the firepower to back them up.

Try any of those practices in your local national monument and see what happens!

I believe that the impoverished people of those countries deserve a piece of the pie just like anyone else but with that way of doing business the pie will only be there for 1 generation to benefit from at best after that only a desolate wasteland leftover.

[Reno Chris]

I don't think that we are in much disagreement.  I believe that the indigenous people's should be allowed to develop the resources in their own areas. I disagree with you that this development benefits only one generation.  Here in the USA, thousands of miners who did well used their new wealth to build businesses, construct cities and railroads, found ranches and farms thereby creating ongoing streams of wealth that still benefits the local economy here 150 years later. One of the local miners who really struck it big built a mining school at the local University - I graduated from that school about 80 years later, so I benefited from his wealth. Even for those poor areas with great potential,  in order to build a prosperous society,  money is needed to start business and get things going. The seed money to build better communities can come from developing the natural resources.  

Nature heals itself at an amazing rate and the areas that were worked here are nearly completely reforested. Many have become tourist attractions where people come to see what the early miners did.

[Digger Jones]

True, we're not that much in disagreement. It's really a lot like it was in North America when the west was wild and I guess we made it out of that ok.

I just think it's not 1849 and a government of a country like Peru should be taking better care of business, it's in their best interest to do so.

I'm 50 years old and still somewhat naïve I guess. There's the way I think the world should be and then there's the way it really is!