Natives Cynical As Prosperity Mine environmental Review Begins

The native group opposing the Prosperity Mine in northern British Columbia has little faith in the just-launched federal environmental review of the project......
The mine plan raised the ire of environmentalists and First Nations groups for the proposed destruction of a lake to be used as a tailings impoundment.....
http://www.mining.com/2012/01/29/natives-cynical-as-prosperity-mine-environmental-review-begins/?utm_source=digest-en-au-120130&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=digest

Peru: Saving The World's Biggest River Otter

"Artisanal gold mining is out of control in the Department of Madre de Dios, with all the devastation this implies. The increase in gold-mining activity along the Madre de Dios, Malinowski, and Inambari Rivers has resulted in near local extinction of the species with giant otters only surviving in tributaries and lakes where there is no mining activity," Groenendijk says, adding that this raises the question of mercury pollution from gold mining possibly "bio-accumulating in giant otters and affecting their reproductive health and survival."
http://news.mongabay.com/2012/0130-hance_interview_giantriverotters.html

The Artisanal Gold Mining Process Using Gold Mercury Amalgamation From Start To Finish

The greatest environmental and health risk in artisanal mining occurs in the final stage, where mercury is burned off the mercury-gold amalgam to isolate the gold.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSIWXktad2A

Fairtrade Gold – 1 Year Old

12 months on from the launch of Certified Fairtrade Gold, I thought I would contact 3 of the UK’s leading ethical jewellery companies and find out what impact if any the launch of Fairtrade has meant for their business. So I went to the horses’ mouth and asked Alan Frampton from CRED Jewellery, the designer Jon Dibben and Vivien Johnston from Fifi Bijoux to give me their honest appraisal..Greg Valerio
http://blog.gregvalerio.com/2012/01/30/fairtrade-gold-1-year-old/

Gov stops Paracale small-Scale Mining

Small-scale mining is widespread in Paracale and in Jose Panganiban and Labo towns. Gold-panning, which uses toxic mercury in extracting gold, is also prevalent in Camarines Norte.

In January, the provincial government canceled the permits of all small-scale mining operations in Camarines Norte, one of the areas in the country with sizable minerals, especially gold deposits.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/136871/gov-stops-paracale-small-scale-mining

Mining Threatens Herders In Mongolia

 Mining in southern Mongolia is threatening the livelihoods of herders and straining water supplies, a report said Monday, as foreign companies race to exploit the country's rich mineral deposits.

Mongolia has opened up it vast reserves of natural resources to foreign investors in the hope of pulling thousands out of poverty, but activist groups said herders, townspeople and the environment were paying a heavy price.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ggU5a5myh4ewO_qJ9P-8EasAa_YQ?docId=CNG.b16557cdf41a87e85d20681fb83362ab.31

India May Exclude Clause On lawsuits From Trade Pacts

One of the problems with the current growing positive response to protests by it's people to curtail environmental damage caused by mining companies, is the ability for these companies to sue a government for lost potential revenue because of a goverments action to curtail an operation that is causing harm to the environment.
Various Globalization trade agreements  like the WTO, NAFTA, BIPA , etc.trump local law and therefore do not incentivize clean mining practices or the ability to demand reform of ongoing operations that put the water, soil and air in peril.
We are starting to see a resistance to these organizations and it's about time.
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“Foreign investors often complain they do not have proper recourse in disputes. The danger of the government passing a law that impacts the value of their business is there,” Venugopal said. “However, if there is a genuine concern on the part of the government, you cannot take away the sovereign right of a state to legislate.”
http://www.livemint.com/2012/01/29231517/India-may-exclude-clause-on-la.html?h=B

Aussie Miner's Licence Revoked After Violent Protests

Thousands of people rioted and burned a government office on Sumbawa island on Thursday, claiming the project would damage the environment and ruin their livelihoods.
http://www.miningaustralia.com.au/news/aussie-miner-s-licence-revoked-following-violent-p

Gold Mining Industry Has Conformed (Is Conforming) To The Times Of Green Industry

Mining for gold has traditionally been viewed as a toxic business that harms the environment leaving mercury and other harsh chemicals in the atmosphere. However, this view is beginning to change as gold mining practices turn to fair trade. The new fair trade standards set social, environmental, and economic measures to eliminate child labor and minimize the use of toxic chemicals such as mercury and cyanide. The major goal of this movement is to avoid the negative impacts that mining causes in the environment while also aiming to help the millions of people who depend on the gold mining industry for employment.
http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Gold-Mining-Industry-Has-Conformed-To-The-Times-Of-Green-Industry/3606258

Romanian-Canadian Gold Mine Face Objections On Cyanide Use

Plans by Rosia Montana Gold Corp. to use chemical compound cyanide to dig up some 314 tonnes of gold in the village of Rosia Montana, touted as Europe's largest gold deposit, had encountered an equally interesting two-faced type of objections in Romania - one against it and the other supporting it.
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/289407/20120130/romania-canada-gold-silver-cyanide.htm

Indonesia: Australian Mining Companies Complicit In Abuses

Residents of the area, mainly farmers and fisherpeople, have protested against the mine development for about the past two years. Protests have highlighted the destructive environmental effects the mine will have on the area, ......

Paniai Gold is alleged to have paid Brimob forces to act as security for its mine, WPM said. Neither Paniai Gold nor West Wits Mining have made any comment on the allegations against them.

WPM said on January 14 that about 150 villages had been vacated, with at least 9000 people displaced either due to fear or by force. It said: “Brimob and D88 troops have burnt down 29 churches, 13 primary schools and 2 junior schools, and 13 villages have been destroyed over the New Year period ...

http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/49854