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A United Nations Environment Programme Report

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................................ 3


GOLD MINING AROUND THE WORLD................................................................................................................................. 3
HISTORY OF MINING PRACTICES ............................................................................................................................................................ 3
EFFECT OF MERCURY AND CYANIDE ..................................................................................................................................................... 4
MAKING GOLD MINING SAFER .............................................................................. ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
ALTERNATIVES TO UNSAFE MINING .................................................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
USING SATELLITES TO QUICKLY FIND ILLEGAL MINES .......................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
PURPOSED WORLDWIDE SOLUTIONS ................................................................ ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
WORLDWIDE ACCOUNTABILITY AND NEW LAWS ............................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
ENFORCING EXISTING FRAMEWORKS................................................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
PROVIDING FUNDING FOR UNDERDEVELOPED COUNTRIES .................................................................. ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED ............................................................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
CONCLUSION .......................................................................................................... ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................................................ 7

Figure 1 ............................................................................................................................................................ 3
Figure 2 ............................................................................................................................................................ 4
Gold has been front and center in our civilization since the beginning. It has become a symbol of status and wealth.
Over time humans have developed more complex forms of acquiring this precious metal; from simply panning for
pieces in river beds to melding other elements that can bind or separate the gold from other rock. Humanity has also
come to recognize the dangers of some of these techniques. Mercury and cyanide have long been used in gold mining,
but the world is beginning to recognize that these chemicals are dangerous to both humans and the environment.
Ninety-nine countries, including the United States, have signed a convention to limit the use of mercury, but cyanide
is still used worldwide despite its dangers. There have been many efforts to change how we are able to acquire gold,
but more needs to be done. Safer mining methods need to be developed and underdeveloped countries need more
support in creating and enforcing laws against the creation of mines using dangerous techniques.

Human culture has valued gold since the beginning of civilization. The origins of this value are unclear. Gold as a metal
was far less useful than the metals of copper, bronze, and iron. It couldn’t be used to make tools or weapons. There are
some that believe that gold began being used as currency simply because there wasn’t another use for it (Zorach and
Phillips 7). In any case, gold became a staple in several cultures often representing wealth, status, and beauty. This
belief in the value of gold leads to a high demand in our world. This high demand must be met in the supply. Gold
mines can be found on almost every continent, but because of the perceived value of gold the surface sources used in
the past can no longer be mined. This leads to deeper and more dangerous mining practices to retrieve gold from deep
within the earth. Finding gold has led to Gold Rushs and illegal mining which has harmed the people and environment
irreversibly.

History of Mining Practices


Mining has taken many different forms over the centuries. One
technique that that is often associated with mining is the image of a
prospector ‘panning for gold’. This technique uses water to separate gold
from gravel, often in a box or pan. A more complex versions of this
technique uses pressurized jets to dislodge rocks from mountain sides
and along rivers (Zorach and Phillips 11). An extreme form of these jets
was used during the California Gold Rush, called “hydrulicking”. This
process used hydraulic jets to dislodge rocks and often wipe away entire
hillsides often leading to flooding downstream.
Figure 1 Hydraulic mining. Miners using high-
pressure water hoses to dislodge rock and
mineral deposits at a mine for later processing
Other techniques such as open-pit mining consist of underground mines
near French Corral, Nevada County, California, much like the ones seen in old movies. Uses shafts and tunnels to move
USA. Library of Congress 1866 the rock. The deepest mine is currently in South Africa and measures at
12,800 feet underground. Unfortunately, the mining of gold often has
consequences on communities and the environment that these mines reside. There are many reasons, but a large
contributor is the use of mercury and cyanide used to extract gold from large sources. There are two processes commonly
used to extract gold. Mercury was commonly used to recover small gold pieces that had been mixed in with soil and
sediments. Since the gold and mercury combine the gold can be extracted from the gold ore. (Global environment facility).
Using Cyanide is also a common form of retrieving gold ore from within rocks and soil. This process, called cyanide heap
leaching, involves creating a large pile of crushed ore and pouring cyanide over the top. The gold will then become soluble
in water, allowing for it to be collected underneath the heap.
Effect of Mercury and Cyanide
The effects of using mercury and cyanide in the processing of
gold can be felt both in the communities surrounding these
mines and in the environment itself. Though mercury has been
mostly outlawed, there are still some underdeveloped countries
that practice using mercury. Mercury has disastrous effects on
the environment. Mercury poisoning can affect the surrounding
lakes and rivers, leading to the death of fish and the pollution of
fresh water sources. When humans consume the contaminated
fish or river water, they can develop mercury poisoning. Which
Figure 2 gold amalgamation is the process of using mercury to extract
is known to cause neurological effects and death. Cyanide has
gold from ores. This process often has disastrous effects for the health
of workers and surrounding environments similar effects on the environment. There are 20 tons of waste
created by trying to retrieve enough gold for a single wedding
ring (Zorach and Phillips 191) This waste is often disposed of in ponds, rivers and behind dams. The use of cyanide has
led to many ecosystems being destroyed and leaks in the dams and other protections leads to cyanide poisoning of
nearby communities.

There have been many efforts to make mining safer for the nearby communities. One such effort was the signing of
the Minamata Convention. This was a multination agreement that was aimed to reduce the widespread mercury
pollution. The Minamata Convention was named after the Japanese city that had experienced extreme mercury
poisoning due to wastewater from a chemical factory (EPA). This agreement was signed by the United States in 2013,
and ninety-one countries have joined the convention in total.

Alternatives to Unsafe Mining


Although using mercury in small scaled gold mining is common, it is possible to retrieve gold without its use. One
possibility is coming out of a lab at Northwestern University. This process mixes a solution derived from cornstarch
with gold. This process proved to be more effective than using mercury or cyanide (Zorach and Phillips 192).
Even though mercury has been outlawed in many countries, some smaller countries still have small scale gold mines
using mercury. Cyanide has not seen the same restrictions worldwide. There are only a few countries that have
outlawed the use of cyanide in gold mining. As cheaper and safer methods are being developed it will soon become a
thing of the past to use such unsafe mining practices, leading to
healthier miners and communities.

Using Satellites to quickly find Illegal Mines


The biggest contributor to environmental concerns is illegal mines.
These mines are founded to try and get around a countries existing
framework against unsafe mining practices. These mines often have
less safety measures in place for their workers, and these workers
often get sick. Currently there are many techniques being developed
to find these mines faster and shut them down. One technique uses
satellite imagery to find these mines. Illegal mines leave scars on the
environment that can be seen by satellite.
Figure 3 Satellite images from northern Peru show
deforestation caused by illegal mining. Mongabay 2016
Although many efforts have been made in the past to rectify the dangerous effects of gold mining. There is still more
that can be done. The Minamata Convention is a breakthrough on the front of mercury usage. Ninety-one countries
are promising to do everything in their power to limit the use of mercury. This does not solve the problems surrounding
cyanide use. We also need to hold more companies accountable for their supply chains. To make sure that the gold
they are acquiring has followed all the laws and is not doing more harm. Currently, companies can become certified
by the Responsible Jewelry Association but because membership to this association is optional some companies choose
not to get certified at all. The best protection within companies currently is public perception. If a company can show
that they are being responsible in the acquisition of their gold they will gain more customers.

Worldwide Accountability and New Laws


The first step to remedying the abuses in the gold industry is creating a measure for holding all countries accountable
for the gold mining practices within their countries. If every country is being held to the same standard, the smaller
countries could more easily reach out if needed. New laws and agreements would also be beneficial, both on local and
global scales. The first step would be to require that companies have transparency around how they acquire their gold.
The gold industry is based on demand, and companies that are desperate to find more gold to increase profits are more
likely to take drastic measures to find more gold. By forcing companies to be transparent about their policies we can
catch more violators much easier than we are currently.

Enforcing Existing Frameworks


A large problem in current gold mining practices is countries that are unable to enforce their own laws effectively.
Because of these illegal mines are able to continue operation even in countries that have laws against it. By helping
these countries build better systems for enforcing their laws we can reduce the number of illegal mines in operation.
This can be a difficult task for the larger countries of the world, but by helping the smaller countries we can reduce
the environmental effects of this mining.

Providing Funding for Underdeveloped Countries


The final step to the erasure of dangerous and illegal mines is providing funding for undeveloped countries. These
countries often do not have the protections against the use of mercury in the mining of gold. This can lead to disastrous
effects for their countries and the world. These countries do not have the funding available to create or enforce laws
against these dangerous mining practices. This funding could be found by increasing fundraising in developed countries
as well as within the countries own economic structures. The United Nations would be the primary source of this
funding, this funding structure would be similar to those already in place through programs like the Global
Opportunities for Long term Development (GOLD) program. This program uses encourages those to invest in these
areas. This funding could come from loans or donations towards equipment.

More Research is Needed


More research into the different methods for mining gold efficiently is needed. If we can find faster and economically
sound ways to retrieve gold, we can convince more companies to abandon their current practices. Getting small gold
mines to stop using cyanide should be a primary goal, and in order to achieve this we need to find another method that
can be used.

The use of cyanide and mercury is affecting populations around the world. Leading to health complications and even
death. Unless we hold every country accountable for the actions within their countries these communities will
continue to suffer. Providing support and funds to underdeveloped countries can keep them from being taken
advantage of because of lower standards. These standards are needed in our world today. If we all come together, we
can make the world a safer place and make sure that retrieving gold will not harm others simply because of greed.
“Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Without Mercury.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 21 Nov. 2018,
www.epa.gov/international-cooperation/artisanal-and-small-scale-gold-mining-without-mercury.
“Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining.” World Gold Council, 7 Sept. 2018, www.gold.org/about-gold/gold-
supply/responsible-gold/artisanal-and-small-scale-gold-mining.
“Deforestation from Illegal Gold Mining Spreads to Northern Peru.” Mongabay Environmental News, 8 July 2016,
news.mongabay.com/2016/07/deforestation-from-illegal-gold-mining-spreads-to-northern-peru/.
Goldberg, Mark Leon. “How Satellite Data Can Fight Illegal Mining in Ghana.” UN Dispatch, 29 May 2019,
www.undispatch.com/how-satellite-data-can-fight-illegal-mining-in-ghana/.
“Making Mercury History in the Artisanal & Small-Scale Gold Mining Sector.” Global Environment Facility, 12 Oct.
2017, www.thegef.org/news/making-mercury-history-artisanal-small-scale-gold-mining-sector.
“Minamata Convention on Mercury.” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 11 Mar. 2019,
www.epa.gov/international-cooperation/minamata-convention-mercury.
Prints & Photographs Online Catalog, 1886, www.loc.gov/pictures/.
“The Ten Principles: UN Global Compact.” The Ten Principles | UN Global Compact, www.unglobalcompact.org/what-
is-gc/mission/principles.
Un. “A New Shine to Gold: Reducing Health Hazards of Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining.” UN Environment,
www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/new-shine-gold-reducing-health-hazards-artisanal-and-
small-scale-gold-mining.
Zorach, Rebecca, and M. W. Phillips. Gold: Nature and Culture. Reaktion Books, 2016.

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