J A N E D E N N I S O N M E R C U R Y P R O G R A M O F F I C E R U . S . D E P A R T M E N T O F S T A T E

J U N E 2 0 1 2

Artisanal & Small Scale Gold Mining: Best Practices towards Preventing

Environmental Damage

Comparison: Gold v. Diamond ASM

Similarities:  Potential Mechanism for Development of Poor/Rural

communities.  Environmental degradation of ecologically important

areas, especially the destruction of forests and the silting of waterways.

 Communities are often transitory.  Importance of financing, property rights/land tenure

regulations, and organization of miners towards developing “solutions.”

 Role of training and education for sustainability.

Comparison: Gold v. Diamond ASM

Differences:  Use of mercury as a cheap and available means to

extract gold from ore.  Relative ease of determining gold product’s value.  On-going UNEP-led negotiations on a global legally-

binding instrument to reduce the use and release of mercury to the environment.

Mercury Pollution Artisanal and Small scale Gold Mining

2005 Emissions: Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme/United Nations Environment Programme Chemicals Branch, Technical Background Report to the Global Atmospheric Mercury Assessment, Requested by UNEP Governing Council decision 24/3, 2008, Table 3.13. Annual Emissions: Telmer, H. and Veiga, M. 2009 “World Emissions of mercury from artisanal and small scale gold mining and the knowledge gaps about them.” In: N. Pirrone and R. Mason (ed.) Mercury Fate and Transport in the Global Atmosphere. www.mercurywatch.org

  Up to 1350 ton/yr emitted into the environment from ASGM   40% to atmosphere   60% to aquatic

systems

Mercury Pollution Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining

  ASGM is a source of livelihood for 10-20 million people in around 70 countries

Map from www.mercurywatch.org

Mercury – a popular tool for artisanal miners

  It’s (relatively) cheap.   It’s available.   It’s easy to use.   Doesn’t require expensive equipment.   Why not use mercury? (many artisanal miners are

not aware of the harmful health and environmental degradation effects of mercury)

Convincing miners to give up mercury

Lessons learned from ASGM projects such as UNEP’s Global Mercury Project :

•  Artisanal miners are far more motivated to give up mercury when they are convinced that they can obtain higher gold yields using other extraction methods.

•  They are often not terribly motivated by concerns for personal health or the environment.

“More Gold, Less Mercury, Better Health”

ASGM Reduce High Risk Practices

Photos: GMP pilot project in the Manica district of Mozambique www.globalmercuryproject.org/countries/mozambique/docs/Moz_Final_Report_Aug_2005.pdf

Pre-concentrating ore significantly reduces amount of mercury used

Applying mercury to whole ore uses large amounts of mercury

ASGM Reduce High Risk Practices

Left Photo: GMP Pilot project in the Manica district of Mozambique www.globalmercuryproject.org/countries/mozambique/docs/Moz_Final_Report_Aug_2005.pdf Right Photo: Handelsman & Veiga. Social and Economic Aspects of Reducing Mercury Pollution in Artisanal Gold Mining. Canadian Institute of Mining Annual Meeting, Vancouver Canada, May 16, 2006. www.globalmercuryproject.org/documents/non_country%20specific/CIM-econ_asp_of%20reducing_pres_May16-06.pdf

Open-air burning of gold-mercury amalgam releases mercury directly into environment and communities

Simple retorts reduce mercury exposure and allow reuse of mercury

ASGM Partnership Reduce High Risk Practices

  Mixing contaminated amalgam tailings with cyanide can create more mobile forms of mercury

Photo: GMP Manual for Training Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Miners www.globalmercuryproject.org/documents/non_country%20specific/training%20manual%20for%20miners%20Marcello%2015.pdf

Existing Mercury Reduction/Elimination Technologies For Processing

  Moving away from mercury whole-ore amalgamation   Reducing open burning

  Retort use   Vapour capture (gold shops)

  Reactivation of mercury   Avoiding combining mercury and cyanide   Zero mercury processing by direct smelting

Global Mercury Instrument Negotiations

UNEP Mercury Treaty An International Solution

  In February 2009, UNEP Governing Council called for negotiation of a global legally binding instrument to reduce mercury pollution

UNEP Governing Council requests

Global Legally Binding Instrument on

Mercury INC 1 INC 2 INC 3 INC 4 INC 5

Conference of Plenipotentiaries to

Sign Treaty

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

UNEP Mercury Treaty Proposed ASGM Elements

  Countries with ASGM should reduce and when possible eliminate the use of mercury in ASGM   Prevent import of mercury for ASGM and prevent recycled or

recaptured mercury from entering ASGM   Develop national/ regional action plans with objectives and

reduction targets   Prohibit specific practices like whole ore amalgamation

The report on the recent negotiations: http://www.unep.org/hazardoussubstances/Mercury/

Negotiations/INC3/INC3Report/tabid/3488/language/en-US/Default.aspx

U.S. Department of State Mercury Projects- ASGM sector

  Assisting in the development of practical environmental, health, and safety regulations in ASM sector (Nigeria- Zamfara State lead poisoning)

  Capacity building and training of artisanal miners (Peru, Burkina Faso)

  Assisting with plans for an International Training Center for Artisanal Miners (Ecuador)

  Baseline mercury inventories- surveys to estimate the use, source, and trade of mercury.

  Mercury storage (Philippines/Indonesia)

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Jane Dennison: DennisonJE@state.gov

or visit: UNEP Mercury Legally Binding Instrument:

http://www.unep.org/hazardoussubstances/Mercury/Negotiations/tabid/3320/Default.aspx

UNEP Mercury Partnership: http://www.unep.org/hazardoussubstances/Mercury/

PrioritiesforAction/ArtisanalandSmallScaleGoldMining/tabid/3526/Default.aspx

Thank you!