Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining:
Yuyun Ismawati - [email protected] - Indonesia Toxics-Free Network
IPEN Lead for ASGM/Mining
IPEN International Toxic Metals SkillshareMinamata, Japan
3rd-4th of October, 2013
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Outline
Gold rush 160 years ago and nowASGM distribution, characteristics and actors General impactsASGM in mercury treaty and your role
Gold Rush Legacy 1800sCalifornia, USA
The mercury legacy in the red spots remained as big problems for communities, especially the Indigenous Peoples - the native American Indians
Gold Rush Legacy 1980s Serra Pelada, Brazil
Photos: Bernadelli, 1983
About half billion USD worth gold was mined released about 100-150 metric tonnes of mercury
Gold Rush Legacy 1980s Serra Pelada, Brazil
Closed in 1986, now becomes the most contaminated lake in Brazil
19 AP countries
19 AP countries
77 ASGM countries
19 AP countries
33 African countries
19 LAC countries
4 CEE countries
2 North American countries
GOLD RUSH TODAY
Gold Rush in the 21st Century • Social and environmental
production of suffering • UNEP: example of ‘Green
Economy’• 37% of the global emission (727
T/y in average)• Employed >20 millions people
in impoverish communities, >1 million women and children
• Produced approx. 20-30% of the global gold production - by the end of 2013: 4000 T (China & India)
Source: UNEP, 2013 Tragic sets of circumstances similar to those of Minamata disease could easily recur in our modern society. We need to be aware of the dangers - Dr. Harada
Global mercury trade (2011)http://www.zoinet.org/web/sites/default/files/publications/MercuryTradeMap2011.pdf
An empirical cycle of ASGM Practices
Time (year)
TRANSITION
R&D Trial / exercise Resources deployment Investment & supply push Declining period Degradation/scavenging period
A B
ASGM Sites
•Govt. survey•Research papers•Traditional/local knowledge
•Subsistence economic activity
•Individual•Subsided•Loans•Experienced/ skilled miners
•Financiers•Loan•Simple technology
•Risk taker/entrepreneurial mentality
•Encroaching
•Profit sharing•Loose employment contract
•Environmental problems
•Human rights violation
•Exchange information
•Learning by doing
•Semi-industrial•Vertical-horizontal conflicts
•Social-economic dynamic
Declining Stage: “Scavenging Stage”Supply pull
•Too many miners, too little gold
•Contaminated sites and abandoned mine shafts too dangerous to live with
•New regulation issued by the authority
•New promising ASGM sites found somewhere else
Low quality
Productionaccelerated
Early Stage: “Conventional Exploration”
AB
CRISIS
CRISIS
Later Stage: “Exploitation Stage”Supply pushThe rate of
gold Production
(T/y)
•Environmental, health and socio-economic problems worsened
•Alternative livelihood available
•Better opportunity for skilled/experienced miners in new sites
Crisis
TRANSITION
R&D Trial /exercise Resources deployment Investment & supply push Crisis
CRISIS
CRISIS
TRANSITION
Ismawati, 2011
Capital Investor(s)
Equipment/production investor
Shaft/Hole exploration
‘Expert’ UP-STREAM(ORE MINING)
MIDDLE-STREAM(ORE PROCESSING)
DOWN-STREAM(METALLIC GOLD AND END-SALE)
Crushing Load/unload
Supporting team (pumping the air, fire, supplies, etc.)
Digging
Capital Investor(s)
Equipment/production investor
Transporter
Ball-Mills Unit‘Expert’
Tailings handling
Supporting team (generator set up, diesel fuel supplies,
etc.)Mixing, burning
amalgam (40-60%)
Fine Crusher Unit
Cyanide Plant Unit‘Expert’Intermediate Gold buyer/
kiosk
Capital Investor(s)/ intermediaries/ gold
trader
Metallic gold process
Gold shop/ jewelry shop
MERCURY ADDED
Transporter
Rehabilitation
THE LIFE-CYCLE OF ASGM (ROCK/PRIMARY ORE TYPE)(Ismawati, 2011)
MERCURY ADDED
The Life-Cycle Overview of ASGM Activities: Up-stream
Capital Investor(s)/financiers
Equipment/production investor
CrushingLoad/unload
Supporting team (pumping the air, fire, hg supplies, etc.)Digging
Transporters
Shaft/Hole exploration
‘Experts’ Sluice box/panning
Boat/compressor
mining
Hg Hg
Hg
MIDDLE-STREAM
UP-STREAMHg
Up-Stream Level Actors
Capital Investor(s)/financiers
Equipment/production investor
CrushingLoad/unload
Supporting team (pumping the air, fire, hg supplies, etc.)Digging
Transporters
Shaft/Hole exploration
‘Experts’ Sluice box/panning
Boat/compressor
mining
Hg Hg
Hg
Hg
FinanciersGold trader
Hg traderLandownersLocal authorities Local leaders
‘Experts’
Brokers
Bosses
MinersHelpers
Sellers
Hookers/sex workers
Transporters
Coolies
Drugs dealers
SecurityThugs
Health workers
Researchers Utilities suppliers
Opportunists
Anti-mining campaigners Development workers
Gate/portal keepers
Journalists
Repair/handyman
The Life-Cycle Overview of ASGM Activities: Middle-stream
Capital Investors/ financiers
Equipment/production investor
Ball-Mills Unit‘Experts’
Tailings handling Mixing/burning amalgam
Fine Crusher Unit
MIDDLE-STREAM
UP-STREAM
DOWN-STREAM
Transporters
Coarse Crusher Unit
Utilities (water/oil/electricity) suppliers
Wastewater management
Transporters
Gold 20-60%
Hg
Hg Hg Hg
Hg
Middle-Stream Level Actors
Capital Investors/ financiers
Equipment/production investor
Ball-Mills Unit‘Experts’
Tailings handling Mixing/burning amalgam
Fine Crusher Unit
Transporters
Coarse Crusher Unit
Utilities (water/oil/electricity) suppliers
Wastewater management
Transporters
Gold 20-60%
Hg
Hg Hg Hg
Hg
Hg traders/smugglers
Landowners
Local authoritiesLocal leaders
Brokers Bosses
Helpers
Sellers
Sex workers
Transporters
Coolies
Drugs dealers
Security
ResearchersUtilities suppliers
Development workers
Repair/handyman
Metal workshops
Gold shops
Gold trader
Financiers
Religious leaders/workers
The Life-Cycle Overview of ASGM Activities: Down-stream
UP-STREAM
DOWN-STREAM
Cyanide Plant‘Experts’Intermediate Gold
buyer/kioskCapital Investor(s)/
intermediaries/ gold trader
Metallic gold process
Gold shop/ jewellery shop
Transporter
MIDDLE-STREAM
Tailings/contaminated environment
Hg
Hg Hg
DOWN-STREAM
Cyanide Plant‘Experts’Intermediate Gold
buyer/kioskCapital Investor(s)/
intermediaries/ gold trader
Metallic gold process
Gold shop/ jewellery shop
Transporter
Tailings/contaminated environment
Hg
Hg Hg
Downstream-Stream Level Actors
Landowners
Local leaders
Chemicals suppliers
Transporters
CooliesUtilities suppliers
Development workers
Gold shops
Gold trader
Financiers
Conservations/forests researchers
Pimps
HelpersUP-STREAM
Sex workers
Brokers
General Impacts of ASGM
Environmental Sustainability
Traditional knowledge and wisdom
Cultural practices and identity
Natural resources potential and heritage
[-] [+]
The right to live in a healthy environment
Jobs (to die for)
Ripple economy effect (vs rip-off
effects)Local economic
development
Wealth/rich
‘Green economy’New research
findings
Environmental degradation
Threats for existing livelihood
Uncontrolled migration/movement of hg and
gold
‘Unknown diseases’, genocides
Social, cultural, and physical conflictsMaterial world/
corruptions
Ghost towns
Lethal livelihoodModern/economic
slavery
Mercury poisoning in ASGM areasNon exposed
groupLow exposed
groupMedium
exposed groupHigh exposed
groupTotal
number
Philippines 1999 37 106 50 39 232
Indonesia - Kalimantan 2003
0 67 31 70 168
Indonesia - Sulawesi 2003
21 17 22 62 122
Tanzania 2003 31 50 34 103 218
Zimbabwe 2004 36 22 18 117 193
Zimbabwe 2006 43 54 13 13 123
Mongolia 41 92 13 50 196
Total 209 408 181 454 1252
Source: Bose-O’Reilly, 2013
Mercury intoxication in ASGM areas
Typical symptoms (ataxia, coordination problems, tremor)
+High mercury levels in human
specimens=
Chronic mercury intoxicationDrasch G, The Mt. Diwata study on the Philippines 1999--assessing mercury intoxication of the population by small scale gold mining. Sci Total Environ 2001Bose-O'Reilly S. Health assessment of artisanal gold miners in Indonesia. Sci Total Environ 2010.Bose-O'Reilly S. Health assessment of artisanal gold miners in Tanzania. Sci Total Environ 2010.Steckling N. Mercury exposure in female artisanal small-scale gold miners (ASGM) in Mongolia: An analysis of human biomonitoring (HBM) data from 2008. Sci Total Environ 2011.
Source: Bose-O’Reilly, 2013
THE NIP, THE NAP, AND THE GAPS
• Art. 2 - definitions• (k). Use allowed” means any use by a Party of mercury or
mercury compounds consistent with this Convention, including, but not limited to, uses consistent with Articles 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
• Art. 3 - supply sources and trade - inventory toolkits, import and export of mercury, sunset date of hg use in ASGM, gold trade
• Art. 7 - ASGM - with the associated Annex C on ASGM’s NAP - global reduction target ? what kind of health measures ?
• Art. 8 & 9 - Emissions and releases to land and water - safe level standard, contamination in food chains, fish advisory
THE NIP, THE NAP, AND THE GAPS..... cont.
• Art.10 - interim storage of mercury - hg imported for ASGM, tight control, potential hotspot
• Art.12 - contaminated sites - on-going and at the abandoned sites/water
• Art.16 - Health aspects - early detection of mercury poisoning, treatment, biomonitoring
• Art.17 - Information exchange - lessons learned, guidance, advisory
• Art.20 - Implementation plan - consisted of several sectoral NAPs, local action plans
what’s next ?
• Declare: more than insignificant --> inventory, NIPs, NAPs and LAPs
• Pay attentions to: • import/export of mercury - UNCOMTRADE HS280540,
country’s import-export statistic• gold production statistic• biomonitoring results• news clippings - hotspots map, database, profile• 10 top diseases in the ASGM hotspots or neighbouring
areas• abandoned mining sites/waters/contaminated sites