Mercury Trade and Supply in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in Colombia
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COLNODO - RED DE DESARROLLO SOSTENIBLE www.colnodo.apc.org – www.rds.org.co Septiembre de 2018
Table of Contents
Preface ...... iv 1. Background ...... 1 2. Goals...... 7 3. Methodology ...... 7 4. Dynamics of the Mercury Trading System...... 8 5. Detailed Description of Activities...... 10 6. An Estimate of Mercury Used in Colombia...... 20 7. Data Discrepancies...... 24 8. Conclusions...... 25 Annexes...... 26 Legislative Timeline...... 26 Requirements for Mining Permit in Colombia...... 28 Sale of Mercury via Internet - mercadolibre.com.co...... 29 Mercury-Related Links of interest...... 30
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Compiled by: Julián Casasbuenas G. Plácido Silva Duarte
Edited by: Yuyun Ismawati Drwiega
For further information, contact: [email protected] or [email protected]
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the authors based on their knowledge, review of literature, interviews, and fieldwork. The authors do not provide any express or implicit warranty or representation with regard to the integrity of the information contained in this document; neither do they assume any liability of any type resulting from the use of or reliance on any information, procedure, conclusion or opinion contained in this document. Any subjective information contained in this document should be understood as an expression of the authors’ opinions rather than those of COLNODO, IPEN, or the Colombian government. The authors have no responsibility to update the information in this document in its current form or notify any changes, additions or deletions.
!iii Preface
This report was written in June, July, and August, 2018 based on the review of literature, documentary research, interviews, and fieldwork. Its goal is to present an approach to the current situation of mercury trade and supply for a small team working in artisanal gold mining in a region of Colombia. This report identifies knowledge gaps and provides recommendations for both those charged with developing policies as well as stakeholders.
It is important to note that during the last five years, the Colombian State has invested approximately fifteen million US dollars in the process of eliminating mercury in small- scale mining. Nonetheless, there is still a lot to be done to reach the goals.
Colnodo team September 2018 Julián Casasbuenas G. Plácido Silva Duarte
!iv Mercury trade and supply in Artisanal and Small- scale Gold Mining sites in Colombia
1. Background
The history of gold extraction in Colombia can be traced to Colonial times. The areas of gold extraction today are the same as those under the Spanish rule. Forms of exploitation have varied very minimally.
Since the founding of Santa María la Antigua del Darién in the north of the territory of Chocó, the first Spanish colony on the mainland, expeditions were organized in order to “pacify the land and extract the large amount of gold existing in its mines,” and “submit the indigenous people who had raised up and fled” to the mountains and Barbacoas: “….which since the first discovery of this mainland has been a famous province rich in gold and gem mines that the native people used as ornamentation as well as pearls from its coast. It is also famous for an important sanctuary called Dabaybe. This sanctuary is said to have a great quantity of gold jewels as offerings placed by the native inhabitants from the surrounded regions both in the sanctuary and in burials. At the risk of sounding fantastic, some of the ancient burials opened up by the Spaniards are said to have contained between ten and twelve thousand pesos worth of jewellery. For this reason, this population was coveted by many Spanish commanders” (Mendoza, 1605, pp. 85-86).
Figure 1. Gold panning in Choco recorded in painting circ.1605
Mercury trade & ASGM Colombia 1 Gold extraction in Colombia is linked to its history and triggered conflict even before the arrival of the Spaniards. The problem of mercury contamination related to gold extraction in Colombia was recognized more than thirty years ago. Since then activities have been carried out to reduce its impact. For instance, in 1988 the Nariño Autonomous Regional Corporation (Corporación Autónoma Regional de Nariño) with support from the German Corporation for Technical Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit/GTZ GmbH) promoted the use of retorts to reduce mercury emissions caused by gold mining.
The experience was replicated in the Autonomous Corporations of Chocó, Amazonia, Cauca Valley, and Cauca. The use of retorts is still promoted in order to reduce mercury emissions in artisanal small-scale mining in Santander with resources from the Environmental Compensation Fund (Fondo de Compensación Ambiental). The first national inventory of mercury sources was created in 2009 (a joint effort between the Ministry of the Environment and the University of Antioquia).
In Colombia, more than 80 percent of the gold production comes from artisanal small- scale mining, and although it is not produced in legal mines, it becomes legalized through the Single-Window of Foreign Trade (Ventanilla Única de Comercio Exterior/ VUCE), administered by the Ministry of Foreign Trade.