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Focus
Top photo credit: Project Underground
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Tarnishing the Earth: Gold Mining's Dirty Secret Scott Fields Abstract
Gold mining may bring to mind images of grizzled prospectors and their burros, but modern mining for gold is a machine- and chemical-intensive endeavor in which hundreds of tons of rock are moved and processed for every ounce of metal extracted. These massive operations bring with them new potential for environmental damage, including accelerated acidic runoff, accidental waste releases, and leachate that can infiltrate waterways and aquifers. By no means, however, are modern mega-mines the only, or perhaps even primary, source of environmental damage. Long-abandoned North American gold mines and contemporary small-scale artisanal mines in the Amazon are an ongoing source of mercury, which is bioaccumulating in food fish. As the extent of damages from mining becomes more apparent, scientists, engineers, and regulators are investigating ways to mitigate the impacts of old mines and prevent current and future mines from developing similar problems
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