reducing mercury pollution in small-scale gold mining philippines 2011-2014

Reducing mercury pollution in small‐Reducing mercury pollution in smallscale gold mining Philippines 2011‐20142014Richard Gutierrez, Ban Toxics!

Press BriefinggShakey’s MatalinoMay 18, 2011

Distribution of Gold D it i thDeposits in the Philippines• Philippine gold resource/ reserve is estimated to be more than 5 billion tons

• Gold deposits have been preported in more than 40 provinces in the country

• Average Grade: 1.353 g/t

ASGM activities currently take place in more than 30 provinces

Mercury use in ASGM Mercury use in ASGM activities has been activities has been reported in more than 20reported in more than 20reported in more than 20 reported in more than 20 provincesprovinces

Photo: Luis Photo: Luis LiwanagLiwanag/SSNC/SSNC

Mercury use and emission in ASGMy

YY E ti t d A l M R lE ti t d A l M R lYearYear Estimated Annual Mercury Release Estimated Annual Mercury Release 2008 70 tons (DENR estimate)

2007 5 tons from small‐scale mining communities in Zamboanga del Norte and Camarines Norte (Appel, Perez)Perez)

2001 140 tons from small‐scale gold mining in Northern Mindanao (DOH assessment submitted to UNEP)

Early 90s 25 tons (Greer, 1993)1986‐1988 A total of 140 tons in 3 years from 53 mining

communities (Appleton et al., 1999)

The Philippine Artisanal and Small‐S l G ld Mi i I d tScale Gold Mining Industry

• Provides employment to more than 300 000Provides employment to more than 300,000 miners including 18,000 women and children

• Supports the livelihood of about two million people

• Comprises traditional and gold rush miners most of whom operate without legal miningmost of whom operate without legal mining titles

• Largest source of mercury emission in the country

• In 2006, UN reported that miners in the Philippines have mercury levels up to 50Philippines have mercury levels up to 50 times above WHO limits

Philippine Annual Gold Production (in kilograms)

Year Total SmallScale LargeScale2000 36,540 21,193 15,3472001 33,841 22,656 11,185, , ,2002 35,848 27,993 7,8552003 37,843 31,473 6,3702004 35 464 29 473 5 9912004 35,464 29,473 5,9912005 37,488 32,117 5,3712006 36,141 29,361 6,7802007 38,792 31,193 7,5992008 35,568 28,198 7,3702009 37,047 26,112 10,935, , ,

Sources: U.S. Geological Survey Minerals Yearbook; Mines and Geosciences Bureau; Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas

Gold Mining and Production MethodsMethods

Small‐scale gold mining in the Philippines takes several forms: surface underground and underwatersurface, underground and underwater (suction and compressor mining).

Gold Mining and Production MethodsMethods

Manual and mechanized ore crushing

Gold Mining and Production MethodsGrinding

Methods

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Gold Mining and Production MethodsSluicing/Gravity Concentration

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Gold Mining and Production Methods

Leaching/Cyanidation

S ll l ld i i iSmall‐scale gold mining in the Philippines takes several forms: surface, underground and underwater (suction and compressor mining).compressor mining).

Carbon‐in‐leach Carbon‐in‐pulpHeap leaching


Amalgamation

Methods

Amalgamation


RECOVERY OF SLURRY

Gold and mercury ratioWhole ore amalgamation – 1:10 to 25

CRUSHING GRINDING MERCURY MIX(WHOLE ORE AMALGAMATION)

RECOVERY OF SLURRY LADEN WITH MERCURY

EXTRACTION

gWhole ore amalgamation 1:10 to 25Amalgamation after grinding and panning – 1:1 to 3

RECOVERY OF AMALGAMAMALGAMATION AFTER GRINDING

AMALGAM BURNING SQUEEZINGSQUEEZED AMALGAMGOLD: THE END PRODUCT

ASGM Gold & Mercury Trading

Mercury TradingMercury Trading• Philippine mercury supply relies primarily on import

• Mercury enters the country legally (e.g. for dental use) and illegally h h h bl k kthrough the black market

• The known sources of mercury for gold mining in the Philippines are:gold mining in the Philippines are: United States, European Union, Algeria, Kyrgyzstan, Italy and Saudi Arabia.

ASGM Gold & Mercury Trading

Mercury TradingMercury Trading• Cost of mercury ranges from PhP2,500 (US$55) to PhP 10,0002,500 (US$55) to PhP 10,000 (US$222) per kilo

• Mercury is available in small mom and pops store at P4.00 (US$.08) to P10.00 (US$.22) per gram

M l f ASGM i l• Mercury supply for ASGM is also provided by dental clinics which also operate as gold and mercury traders

ASGM ISSUES AND CONCERNS

1. Legal/Regulatory1. Legal/Regulatory

• Antiquated, irresponsive and conflicting laws on mining• Difficulty of small‐scale miners to secure permits due to costly y p yand complicated licensing/permitting process and requirements

• Difficulty in identifying and setting aside areas to be declared as People’s Small Scale Mining AreaPeople s Small Scale Mining Area

• Poor coordination between MGB and LGU with respect to ASGM issues

• Difficulty in securing ECCs for small‐scale miners• Overlapping areas for small‐scale and large scale mining• No government revenue from informal small‐scale miningNo government revenue from informal small scale mining operations


2. Enforcement

• Poor monitoring of mercury usage

• Most ASGM operations are illegal but still operating

• Poor monitoring of compliance to CCOs issued

• Perceived lack of sincerity of• Perceived lack of sincerity of the government to address the issues confronting the industry


3. Business/Economic

• Need to establish more accessible BSP Gold Buying Stations

g

• Stringent criteria set by the bank compel the miners to sell their gold to local dealers at a lower price

• A substantial share of ASGM production ends up in the gp pblack market

• Lack of capital prevents miners to adopt recommended technologies to control mercury emission (e g use oftechnologies to control mercury emission (e.g. use of retort)

• Lack of support from DTI because of the illegal nature of ASGM iASGM operations


4 S i l4. Social

• Need to provide supplemental livelihood to minerslivelihood to miners

• Child labor and drug use in mining areas


5. Technical

• No common service facility or proper disposal system for mercury confiscated and other mercury‐containing wastes.g

• Lack of viable alternatives for mercury use (e.g. cyanidation is not practical because the ore extractedpractical because the ore extracted by the miners vary in grade)


6. Health

• Inadequate studies on the health• Inadequate studies on the health impacts of mercury use in mining areas

• No program on the containment of fumes

• Non‐use of personal protective p pequipment

• Community exposure to mercury


7 Education7 . Education

• Lack of IEC on the safe handling and use of mercuryy

• Need to strengthen awareness campaigns to convince miners not to use mercurynot to use mercury

• Miners not convinced on the toxic effects of mercury

• Need to improve the social and environmental performance of ASGM to change misperceptions from the sector


8. Institutional

• Need to build capacity and capability of LGUs to address ASGM concerns

g

• Weak and non‐functional PMRBs• Need to involve miners in local

planning to facilitate buy‐in intoplanning to facilitate buy in into the program

• Overlapping functions of i tit ti l b diinstitutional bodies

• Lack of manpower and resources in the implementation of devolved functions to LGUs


9. Environmental

I di l f i t• Improper disposal of mine waste• Contamination of water bodies and

marine organisms due to cyanide and

g

mercury pollution• Landscape destruction and

deforestation which furtherdeforestation which further aggravates biodiversity loss

• Soil erosion, siltation and loss of soil productivityproductivity

• Incidents of fish kill as a result of contamination of water bodies due to cyanide pollution

Thank you for listening!Ban Toxics!

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