Romanian Opposition Leader Doesn't Want Gold Mine

Victor Ponta, who heads the Social Democracy Party, told foreign journalists Thursday that a cyanide spill at a nearby gold mine in 2000 was evidence of the harm the proposed mine could cause.
http://www.thestreet.com/story/11440285/1/romanian-opposition-leader-doesnt-want-gold-mine.html

How A Gold Mining Boom Is Killing The Children Of Nigeria

The hazards of artisanal, or small-scale, mining and lead are well-known. But rarely have they coincided with such a disastrous outcome as in Zamfara. Artisanal gold mining — which is often unpermitted or illegal — typically involves manual labor, both in the mines and in extracting ore by breaking and grinding rock. Chemical extraction of gold ore using mercury also poses serious health hazards. Child labor is common in these mines, and very young children can be exposed to mining’s dust and chemical hazards when they accompany parents to work sites. Mercury is typically the primary chemical hazard in artisanal gold mines, but in Zamfara, “the lead poisoning has blown the doors of any mercury poisoning that’s occurring,” said Ivan Gayton, who is head of mission for MSF Nigeria, speaking from Nigeria.
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/how_a_gold_mining_boom_is_killing_the_children_of_nigeria/2500/

Argentina: The High Price Of Gold

Open-pit mining, says Garrott, endangers the environment through the use of toxic chemicals, such as cyanide, and vast amounts of water, which is scarce in Famatina.
http://www.theglobalmail.org/feature/the-high-price-of-gold/93/

Global Mining Boom Is Leading To Landgrab, Says Report

The global mining, oil and gas industries have expanded so fast in the last decade they are now leading to large-scale "landgrabbing" and threatening farming and water supplies, according to a report by environment and development groups in Europe, Africa and India
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/mar/01/global-mining-boom-landgrab-africa?newsfeed=true

Underreported Struggles February 2012

The Wixarika people, after campaigning for seventeen straight months to protect their sacred territory, have been granted a major reprieve by the federal courts in Mexico. As of this moment, the intention to exploit natural resources through 38 mineral concessions in the sacred territory of Wirikuta is suspended; and no further mining permits can be granted as long as the core of the matter (the Wixarika'a concerns) remains unresolved.
http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=20120229202907888

Mining In Argentina: Development vs Environment

As foreign interests try to set up shop, protests have erupted in several Argentine provinces. From Jujuy to La Rioja, people are fighting to keep mining companies away from their air, land and water......
“The government has the intention of negotiating these mines,” she said. “The mines, with all their exploitation – and that’s my government. This is the problem. The government attacks the inhabitants, contaminates the land and makes demands – even more than the mega-mining companies.”
http://www.argentinaindependent.com/socialissues/environment/mining-in-argentina-development-vs-environment/