Modern open pit gold mining of low grade ore is one of the most polluting mining activities there is. Recent studies have documented that more than 90% of gold mines that are near underground or surface water cause contamination of that water.
Many open pit gold mines excavate 8 – 30 tons of ore just to produce 5 gold rings; 99.99% of what was mined becomes waste that’s been treated with cyanide to recover the gold. The resulting waste and will be disposed of in permanent dumpsites called “tailings storage facilities.” While mines and their associated waste dumps are supposed to comply with regulations, such regulations are minimum requirements and don’t prevent pollution from occurring. Regulations often legitimize pollution that would not have occurred. The best regulations in the world are worthless if not rigorously enforced…
Thanks to George Neall, Retired Mining Engineer. George lives in Highland County, and is on the Stakeholder Committee for the Potential Impacts of Gold Mining in Virginia Study in coordination with the National Academy of Sciences.
Read more at the Farmville Herald here. Published April 8, 2022. Or check out the pdf format here.
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