ILLEGAL GOLD MINING BOOM THAT'S POISONING HIS PEOPLE IN COLOMBIA -
ex... Miners watch rescue operations after an illegal open-pit gold mine collapsed in western Colombia’s Cauca department in 2014, resulting in at least 12 fatalities. SOURCE LUIS ROBAYO/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Refining gold with mercury dates back to Roman times and has been used in Colombia for more than a century by illegal artisan miners. But in the 1990s, illegal miners started using the metal on an industrial scale with few — if any — safety precautions in place. By the mid-2000s, mercury was the norm. It was all due to a seemingly unrelated development: The U.S.-backed war on drugs had begun cutting into the profits of armed criminal gangs who had grown rich on cocaine exports etc.
As illegal miners business boomed, so did the demand for mercury. Colombia’s government estimates that, in 2012 alone, miners used between 130 and 460 metric tons of mercury; the military figures that each year about 200 tons of mercury end up in the country’s rivers. It’s difficult to get an accurate figure, though, when the government estimates that 87 percent of gold mines in Colombia don’t have government-issued environmental licenses.
The military is at it, though, forming a special 500-troop anti-illegal mining unit in December 2015. When the unit spots an unregistered jungle mine from a helicopter, they raid the site and blow up dredgers, excavators and other machinery.
Gran Colombia Gold Corp. (TPRFF) The only company that has done anything to eliminate mercury in these municipalities is Gran Colombia Gold, which in the time we have formalized miners have eliminated, we have avoided the dumping of more than 100s tons of mercury.
Gran Colombia Gold has helped Colombia Gov. and illegal miners
to turned > 50 illegal mines into legal TPRFF subsidiary legal mines
to eliminate mercury poison for all -
The Government has understood the problem of mercury. The Government is trying to eliminate the use of mercury in mining, that is done around the world to not kill HIS people.
Colombia can not be one of the few countries to use 666 mercury, no developed country uses mercury in mining and we can not be the tail of the train.
The Government is also trying to eliminate the use of the explosive illegally. Having no title, being illegal, where does the explosive buy the illegal miner? Well in the illegal market. They are ill-designed, poorly constructed explosives that endanger the workers in those mines. Then, with the cooperation we have from the Government in the next three years the situation in Segovia and Remedios will be very different.
On the other hand, in Segovia and Remedios no serious studies have been done on the effects of mercury on the health of the population. They are determining effects that affect and pass up to three and four generations. So it's time for us to start doing mercury studies and it's time for us to start eliminating it for good. Ex.
Gran Colombia Gold – Producing high grade gold GCM:TSX
Gran Colombia is a Canadian-based gold and silver exploration, development and production company with its primary focus in Colombia.
Gran Colombia is currently the largest underground gold and silver producer in Colombia with several underground mines and two processing plants in operation at its Segovia and Marmato Operations.
Gran Colombia is currently in the midst of an expansion and modernization project at its high grade, production stage Segovia Operations.
In recent years, Gran Colombia has successfully implemented a number of cost savings initiatives, bringing its All-In Sustaining Cost (AISC) to US850 per ounce in 2016 and expected to be below US900 in 2017.
Gran Colombia Gold is building the leading Colombia focused gold producer.
The Company is building a strong production growth profile through exploration, development and bringing to production gold projects in Colombia.
The Company’s focus is on the development of the Segovia Operations and Marmato projects to generate strong cash flows in the short, medium and long term.
To be successful, Gran Colombia Gold must also be a positive agent of change for the communities where it operates.
The Company can only succeed if the communities are changed in a positive way and share in that success.
Gran Colombia’s success will drive positive change in the communities; positive changes in health and safety, wages, pensions, the environment, economic growth and diversity, education and stronger communities.
The Company’s third focus is Valuation Growth.
The Gran Colombia team believes strongly in the Company’s potential for great success and seeks to build shareholder value by having a great plan, executing through hard work & collaboration, and by achieving targets.
For more information on Gran Colombia Gold (GCM.TO) please fill out the form below.
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TPRFF Maria Drama Gold Mine Plant 1.500 TPD Mill Capacity -
Guys, i have a very interesting question:
The company stated in the last presentation, that they can handle up at the Maria Dama Plant up to 1.500 TPD.
In the second quarter they produced only 842 TPD at this mill.
My question is now: Want they increase the mill capacity to 1.500 TPD or did they even now can handle this capacity? If the last is correct, why they still don´t produce 1.500 TPD or at least 1.350-1.400 TPD?
I think it´s a very interesting question, because if they really can
almost double the production capacity, we should in the nearer future
be able to produce about 250k ounces or even more per year!
That´s why i want understand the difference between the 1.500 TPD they mentioned and the 842 TPD they really do now. by James Blast