Dirty Gold, and its Alternative
The merciless sun is high in the sky as laborers stand in rancid mud
, sifting buckets and dealing with toxic chemicals. They have no protection and no respite, only the threat of an ever-present whip at their backs. The place is Congo, Africa. The year, 2010. Yes, 2010.
Gold mining is done in many areas of the world. It's normal. We all own gold, or
scrap gold that comes from those very mines. But the way the gold comes to you, that is not normal. Dirty diamonds are a known atrocity, one that is well publicized, and that people keep trying to fight. But dirty gold is for some reason hidden in the shadows. And after you learn about the background of dirty gold, it suddenly doesn't seem so shiny anymore.
The common image that most people have of gold mining is of men during the California gold rush, either panning for gold nuggets in a mountain stream or digging into thick veins of gold with pick-axes. This image bears almost no resemblance to gold mining today. By now, most accessible gold deposits have long been depleted. Today, it's more about the chemistry of solvents than of caves and pick-axes. Gold today is found in very small concentration, less than 10 grams per ton. The way gold is extracted is by blasting craters to form mines, and excavating huge amounts of ore. Excavated ore ispulverized into afine powder in order to free the gold. The powder is combined with water to form a muddy mix called a slurry. It is at this point thatthe ore is treated with a liquid solvent to dissolve the gold.
Gold mining presents myriad burdens on the environment. After the blast, there are tons of waste ore with nowhere to go. In 1977, the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act was passed, which requires mining operators to submit a plan for restoring the land, and for mitigating any acid mine drainage before mining can be approved. However, gold mining still leaves acres of land barren, depleted of nutrients.
The other environmental hazard caused by mining comes when the gold is being extracted from the ore. Cyanide, a well-known poison, is used to remove the gold. Hydrogen cyanide is highly toxic and at high exposures can even be fatal to humans and mammals such as, fish, birds, and the like. The real fear with gold mining is that the cyanide solutions may leach into soil and groundwater. There exists the potential for catastrophic cyanide spills that could inundate an ecosystem with toxic levels of cyanide.
The detrimental effects of gold mining aren't as far removed from us as we think. It has ruined areas of the Rocky Mountains wilderness in Montana, and The Pebble Mine in Alaska's Bristol Bay watershed.
In Baia Mare, Romania, in the year 2000, the worst happened. A pipe carrying the cyanide solution used for gold exploded, sending the rancid chemicals rushing down to the rivers and villages below. It is now ten years later, and still the people of Baia Mare feel the effects. Drinking water supplies were cut off for 2.5 million people, and nearly all of the fish in the surrounding waters were killed. The toxic gases that were release polluted the air, and affected the immune systems of many of the children of Baia Mare, who are often sick. The river Sasar is one of the rivers running through the villages. No fish have been seen there for sixty years, since gold mining in the area began.
Mining operations in the U.S. and overseas have started to take precautions since then. Companies store the waste ore and ground rock in special leach pads lined with a plastic membrane to try to prevent the cyanide and toxic chemicals from leaching. The facilities also try to minimize the effect of cyanide that is not recycled through natural processes, such as, photodegradation, hydrolysis, and oxidation. Researchers continue to work on alternate methods of recycling cyanide, but the processes are slow to develop, and often very costly. Gold mining can be done using methods other than cyanide extradition, but this is the most cost-effective, and so it remains the principal method of mining gold.
Aside from its effect on the environment, gold mining in areas of conflict and poverty contributes to inhumane treatment. A major gold mine', literally, lies in Congo and on Ghana's ancient Gold Coast.
These areas of extreme poverty and depravation are overtaken by the big mining companies. AngloGold Ashanti, the world's second largest gold company, is based in the mines of Ghana, stripping the already impoverished land of its resources and economy. Residents wake up in the morning and find their farms and lands destroyed by toxic fumes and wastes. The companies promise compensation, but this can take years. By the time the compensation comes through, the victims have often left out of necessity, on the move to hopefully greener pastures.
Concessions cover 70 percent of Ghana, and clashes between large-scale gold miner Ashanti Goldfield (AGC) and artisanal miners have resulted in an established pattern of human rights violations. In the Sansu Mining Community, AGC and the military were implicated in murders and beatings from 1994 to 1997, some of which included attacks by AGC security guard dogs. In 1994 and 1995, the Indonesia military and security forces employed by Freeport McMoRan, owner of the Grasberg mine, did away with 22 civilians, according to the Australian Council of Overseas Aid. Freeport also acknowledged paying off the Indonesia military in 2003. In August of that year, the military shot two American schoolteachers and one employee near Grasberg, the world's largest gold mine.
In light of the conflicts associated with gold mining, Congress passed a bill in July of 2010 requiring more transparency in the practices of gold mining, and the dealings of foreign mining companies. The bill requires publicly listed companies to report to the Securities and Exchange Commission on the origin of their gold, and whether it came from the Congo basin. Documentation will also have to be given reporting on whether the gold is related to armed forces in the area. This will hopefully give jewelers a better idea on where their gold is from, and whether it is conflict related.
Jewelry giants such as Zales, Tiffany and Co., Kmart, Sears, and others have been forced to face the uncomfortable questions of where their gold is coming from, and have pledged to support mine watchdog group Earthworks' "No Dirty Gold" campaign. People are starting to realize that those gleaming necklaces, rings and watches in the jewelry case may cost a lot more than you think.
Although the catastrophe of blood gold' is starting to become more exposed, the damage continues to be wrought. A good alternative to gold mining is to recycle gold. How does that happen? Many people have piles of gold coins, watches, and jewelry lying around, collecting dust. Selling that scrap gold can earn a nice profit for the individual, aside from its eco-friendly benefits. The gold is melted down to be reused, saving about 20 tons of rock that must be mined just to make a simple ring. The easiest and most cost-efficient way to
sell gold is through online gold buyers, who will usually offer the most for the gold, and keep the transaction as simple as possible. The payout is usually greatest through these companies because they have less overhead.
Bringing safety and security to gold mining still has a long way to go, but we can give it a boost by recycling gold. Think of orphaned and sick children. Think of ruined wilderness. And then think of how it easy it is for you to help.
Dirty Gold, and its Alternative
By: Mark Rich
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