Peru's Mines Min Says Minas Conga Study Can Be Improved

Peru's Energy and Mines Minister Jorge Merino Tafur said Wednesday that an environmental impact study conducted by Newmont Mining Corp. (NEM) for its $4.8 billion Minas Conga copper-gold project will be respected, adding however that the study can be "improved."
http://www.foxbusiness.com/news/2012/02/01/perus-mines-min-says-minas-conga-study-can-be-improved/

Kyrgyzstan: Independent Expertise Exposes Damage Done By Kumtor Gold Exploitation

Canadian company Centerra Gold, owner and operator of Kumtor Mine, the largest gold mine in Central Asia managed by a Western company, has been contaminating local waters and glaciers while hiding evidence of such negative impacts from public oversight, reveals a report authored by an independent US-based expert published today by CEE Bankwatch Network (1). Had it operated in its home country Canada, Centerra’s practices would have caused the company serious trouble with the law.
http://bankwatch.org/news-media/for-journalists/press-releases/kyrgyzstan-independent-expertise-exposes-damage-done-kumto

Canadian Miner Suspends Paraguay Gold Operations

A minor gold rush struck the area several years before the Canadians arrived. Renegade diggers had been using toxic mercury to separate the precious metal, contaminating the soil and water and causing health problems among the poor populations nearby.
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/article/68798--canadian-miner-suspends-paraguay-gold-operations

Helping Artisan Miners Stay Clear Of Mercury

The paper details how the miners grind the ore with mercury in small ball mills called “cocos.” During this process, up to 80 per cent of the mercury is lost with the waste, which is then drenched with cyanide to recover any residual gold—often minute quantities.

“In this process, a very toxic compound is formed: mercury-cyanide which is dumped into the local creeks,” say Veiga, adding that this is happening as well in countries such as Peru and Ecuador.

As yet, there have been no studies on the impact of mercury-cyanide on the environment or food chain. However, Veiga says that downstream effects are likely given the number of South American banana plantations and shrimp farms that export to global markets.

http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/2012/02/01/toxic-gold-rush/

Indaba 2011 Highlighted The Africa Resources Rush

While not an anti-mining group per se, they do view the industry from a different angle and often feel the mining sector is doing local populations actual harm from lax environmental standards, or with other factors which they see as financially damaging despite strong protestations to the contrary from the new mine developers. ......
 If they fail to do so they may find themselves having to deal with a less favourably disposed regime and new African governments are experts at turning the tables on those companies they may see as not providing sufficient benefits to the local economy and standard of life.
http://www.moneyweb.co.za/mw/view/mw/en/page292523?oid=560950&sn=2009+Detail

Yosemite National Park Threatened By Gold Mining

Obtaining an ounce of gold requires digging up a minimum of 30-tons of ore. Further chemical processing is required to sort the gold from the ore, which has historically resulted in sulfuric acid runoff or spills of toxic chemicals like cyanide into the environment, devastating the ecosystem for miles around.
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/31/4228213/prohibit-gold-mining-in-yosemite.html

Stricter Quebec Environmental laws Come Into Effect Wednesday

Quebec’s Environment Department says new penalties that come into effect Wednesday will help protect the province’s waterways, forests, wetlands and natural areas from pollution.....
One company, Les Mines Opinaca Ltd, was fined $400,000 for carrying out work without proper authorizations, releasing a contaminant into the environment and improperly storing hazardous waste at a gold mine 350 kilometres north of Chibougamau.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Stricter+Quebec+environmental+laws+come+into+effect+Wednesday/6080407/story.html

The Other Immigration Problem: Gringos In Baja

Argonaut Gold proposes to build a desalination plant to provide the millions of gallons of water that the leaching process requires to extract gold from the ore. In their public meetings in small Baja villages, company reps have not said what would be done with the millions of gallons of cyanide-infused water after the leaching.

In a desert where water is hungrily absorbed by thirsty roots or flashes down arroyos to the sea, where does cyanide-infused wastewater go? What happens when flash floods wash cyanide, arsenic, and toxic metals into the Gulf of California, waters that are biosphere reserves themselves for their incredible marine biodiversity? Fouquieria, as the boojum tree would say.

http://www.onearth.org/blog/the-other-immigration-problem-gringos-in-baja

Mobilization On The Honduran Capital Against Proposed Mining Law

Under current law, mining corporations operating in Honduras pay only 1 percent tax to the municipalities in which they operate; even this minimal amount often ends up in the pocket of the local officials. Community members are left with a devastated environment, scarce and severely contaminated water supplies, air pollution and a host of grave diseases: unidentified skin illnesses, hair loss, acute respiratory illnesses, birth deformities, cancer, as well as mental health problems.
http://climate-connections.org/2012/01/31/mobilization-on-the-honduran-capital-against-proposed-mining-law/

Namosi Landowners In Fiji Barred From Comment On Mine Talks

Mr Nariva told the newspaper land damaged in exploratory work is to be repaired, an Environmental Impact Assessment put on hold and new talks held.

Mr Nariva also told the paper that once rehabilitation of the area is complete the landowners will be consulted on whether they want mining to proceed.

http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=65865

Insuring The Environment – Who Pays When Mining Goes Wrong?

We contend that a world-class resources sector needs world-class environmental planning, risk management and regulation. Our policy frameworks need to be as smart and innovative as our systems for finding, extracting, moving, refining and marketing depletable resources.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Finally, such a system would better manage the risk to the taxpayer and the environment, by creating a much stronger incentive for companies to avoid environmental damage and the consequent remediation costs.
http://theconversation.edu.au/insuring-the-environment-who-pays-when-mining-goes-wrong-5060

Anti-Mining Sentiments Growing

If there is one important lesson that the destruction wrought by Typhoon Sendong in Northern Mindanao last Dec. 17 and followed by Landslides in Pantukan, Compostela Valley has taught Mindanaons, that is the need to care for the environment. It is becoming clear that massive and wanton destruction of our forest covers, natural water ways and mining operations, both legal and illegal have aggravated the plight and risks of the victims.
http://www.goldstardailynews.com/commentary/7894-anti-mining-sentiments-growing.html

Philippines: DENR Eyes Small-Scale Mining's Rationalization

Such proposal aims assessing small-scale mining practices, noting the country's environment deteriorated and mineral resource depletion became a problem despite existence of regulations and policy guidelines on mining. 
Among small-scale mining practices DENR continues opposing is discharging waste directly into the environment as this contaminates water and other elements. 
One measure DENR-MGB is considering to address such problem is putting up common and regulated processing facilities for small-scale miners. 
http://www.zamboangatoday.ph/index.php/news/13-top-stories/8402-denr-eyes-small-scale-minings-rationalization.html

Canadian Mining Company Says It Wants A “Social Licence” For Controversial Project In Argentina

“This information and consultation is primary to the commencement of any exploration work on the site. If there is no social license for exploration and development around the Famatina project area, no work will be conducted by MEP” it adds, meaning that no mining developments will be taking place in the area against the will of the local population.....
The protesters among other arguments such as the lack of information and contract conditions, say mining of the Famatina Mountain would require a million litres of water a day and the use of cyanide to extract precious metals.....
http://en.mercopress.com/2012/02/01/canadian-mining-company-says-it-wants-a-social-licence-for-controversial-project-in-argentina