current experience on the mercury-free transition in ... june 2013/philippines asm...

Current Experience on the Mercury-Free Transition in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in the Philippines

RICHARD C. GUTIERREZ, J.D, Ll.M. BAN Toxics!

The only world worth passing to our children is toxics-free.

Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on A rtisanal and Small Scale Mining Chinggis Khaan Hotel, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Images: Luis Liwanag / Ban Toxics!

Current Experience:

Mercury-Free Transition in Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining in the Philippines


Presentation Outline

• Brief Profile of Ban Toxics!

• ASGM Background

• Mercury

• Mercury Trade

• Philippines Moving Forward

• Demand: Cleaner Gold Production Alternatives

• Supply: Phase-out Trade

• Environmentally Sound Storage and Disposal

• Observations / Recommendations Next Steps

Who We Are…

• Environmental Justice • Prevention of Toxic Trade – products, wastes

and technologies • Trade, Human Rights and Governance

• An independent non-profit environmental non-governmental organization focusing on the Southeast Asian region on issues pertaining to:

• Southeast Asian office of the Basel Action Network • Active member of the global coalition on mercury

Zero Mercury Working Group (ZMWG)


Current Experience:


• Provides employment to more than 350,000 miners including at least to 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 mining titles.

• Largest source of mercury emission in the country.

The Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining Industry in the Philippines


Current Experience:


Distribution of Gold Deposits in the Philippines

• Philippine gold resource/ reserve estimated to be more than 5 billion tons

• Gold deposits reported in more than 40 provinces

Location of ASGM Activities in the Philippines ASGM Profile

• Most miners work casually and informally.

• They do not have fixed earnings –income depends on luck.

• Wages of mine workers range from $6 - $12 a day

• Financers (most of whom are mine owners and processors) earn $370 to $2,500 (or more) a month

• Most people are drawn into mining because the job does not accordingly require much qualification


MERCURY

• Is persistent and cycles globally

• Continues to be widely used

• Exposure has serious effects on children, women, and babies in the womb.

• Has an impact on global fishing

• May generate bigger problems in less-developed regions

• Interventions can be successful

UNEP. Global Mercury Assessment, December 2002: www.chem.unep.ch/mercury/default.htm

Current Experience:



Mercury Trade Structure

• The known sources of mercury for gold mining in the Philippines are: European Union, Algeria, Kyrgyzstan, and China;

• Cost of mercury ranges from $130 to $750 per kg;

• Mercury is widely available; • Mercury supply for ASGM is also

provided by dental clinics which also operate as gold and mercury traders.

Current Experience:



Provinces with

reported mercury

use in ASGM

Current Experience:


Year Estimated Annual Mercury Release

2012 250-400 tons (Ban Toxics!, 2012)

2008 70 tons (Philippine Government estimate)

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

Mercury Use and Emission from ASGM


Current Experience:


• Contamination of water bodies and marine organisms due to cyanide and mercury pollution

• Landscape destruction and deforestation which further aggravates biodiversity loss

• Soil erosion, siltation and loss of soil productivity

Environmental Impacts of ASGM


Current Experience:


Planning and

Consultation Demand Supply Storage


Current Experience:


Hg Phaseout

Consultations

Government (National and

Local)

Miners

Civil Society

Current Experience:


Current Experience:


Alternatives for cleaner gold production

Mercury-free techniques

a. Gravity concentration

b. Centrifugal method

c. Magnetic sluice

d. Shaking sluice

Photo: Gold Adventures

© Telmer

Photo: Oro Industries

Photo: Madden Steel Industries


Current Experience:



Mercury reduction methods

a. Retort

b. Use of fume hood (with water box condenser)

c. Mercury reactivation via electrolysis

Photo: DOST

© Telmer

Photo: USGS!



Refining

a. Direct smelting

b. Use of borax

Photo: Ban Toxics!


Current Experience:


Solutions are based NOT on technology alone!

BUT in considering the following factors: - Type of ore; - Level of organization of the community; - Community acceptability; - Area of mine; - Political will; and - Committed individuals.


Current Experience:



Ban Toxics, Dialogos and other Danish partners launched in 2011 – Mercury Reduction in Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining in the Philippines 2011-2014 - Training miners with the help of other miners who have

stopped using mercury - Teaching rural healthcare workers on the proper screening

of mercury poisoning cases - Raising awareness on the dangers of mercury

Current Experience:



Current Experience:



Pilot Project Site: Balbalan, Kalinga ⤫ In Northern Philippines ⤫ Mercury usage, approximately 2 tons per year ⤫ 2,000 miners during offseason; 4,000 peak season ⤫ Local organization – Banao Bodong Association ⤫ Whole ore amalgamation; amalgamation at panning; burning

After 2 years of intervention:

1,100 miners converted Mercury use almost phased out Amalgam burning almost eliminated Banao Bodong Association banned mercury use Provincial Ordinance banning mercury Miners are enjoying: increased recovery, better gold quality Miners are earning a living without poisoning themselves and

community

Current Experience:


Current Experience:


Types elemental mercury can be classified based on its origin: • Primary mercury

unused, ‘virgin’ mercury that is produced as the main product of mining activities (processing of the mercury ore cinnabar)

• Secondary mercury generated through recycling of mercury-containing wastes (catalysts, products, or decommissioned chlor-alkali plants)

• By-product mercury produced in the mining and processing of minerals other than mercury minerals (gold, natural gas, zinc, lead).


Current Experience:


• Estimated Amount of Excess Mercury

Region Est. Quantity

(tons)

Remark

USA*)

DNSC

DOE

4,436

1,206

Current stock managed by

the govt.

European Community**) 10,000 Resulted from export ban &

chlor-alkali decommission

Latin America and

Caribbean***)

2,000 – 8,000 Excess starts in 2015 or

earlier

Asia Pacific****) 5,500 – 7,500 Excess starts 2027 or earlier

2017

*)

**)

Lynch, 2009

BiPRO, 2010

***)

****)

Maxson, 2009

Maxson, 2009


Current Experience:


• Main sources of the mercury released in the Philippines

– Virgin metal production, primarily from small scale mining of gold and silver (31.95%),

– Extraction and use of fuel and energy resources (20.45%),

– Other intentional uses (19.93%).


Current Experience:


Recomended Option for Mercury and Mercury Containing Waste Management

Secure

Landfill

Stabilization

Facility

National

Storage

Local

Storage

Recovery

Facility Waste

Generator

Low Level Mercury Containing Waste

Elemental Mercury Elemental Mercury

Residue

Stabilized Waste

Collection

Facility

Elemental Mercury

High Level

Mercury Containing Waste


Current Experience:


• Available Infrastructure for ESM of Mercury Waste Management: Segregate

1.5 m3 Open Top Boxes

1.5 m3 Closed Boxes 1.4 m3 Closed Boxes

3.2 m3 Drilling Mud / Cuttings Box

Source: PT PPLI


Current Experience:


• Available Infrastructure for ESM of Mercury Waste Management: Disposal

Indonesia and Philippines

Source: PT PPLI


Current Experience:


• Available Infrastructure for ESM of Mercury Waste Management: Above Ground Storage

Indonesia and Philippines

Source: PT PPLI


Current Experience:


Observations

• ASGM is a complex development issue: it helps many families bring food to the table but has also created serious social, health and ecological risks

• The social, health and environmental costs of gold production are borne by communities and local governments where these operations occur.

• Mercury pollution in the Philippines is widespread and that unless and until urgent and drastic steps are carried out to contain further mercury discharge into the environment, the effects will be disastrous.

• There is no silver bullet or single solution to the problem on mercury pollution due to ASGM


Current Experience:


Recommendations 1. Stop the global supply flow of mercury.

2. Prohibiting the trade and use of mercury and mercury compounds in all sectors in the Philippines.

3. Provide technical support to ASGM.

4. Provide needed working capital, credit facilities and suitable mining equipment or processes to ASGM.

5. Organize and strengthen ASGM groups.

6. Develop coherent national policy on mining and streamline regulatory and administrative procedures to remove barriers.

7. Increase awareness of toxic effects of chemicals, such as mercury, to miners, their families and affected communities.


Current Experience:


Recommendations

The government and civil society to initiate a dialogue to find out how and to what extent does ASGM fit in national development.

Efforts towards internalizing the external costs of gold production must be carried out before we seriously consider mainstreaming ASGM into the national development agenda.


Current Experience:



Ban Toxics! 26 Matalino St. Suite 332, Eagle Court, Diliman Quezon City, Philippines 3018 Tele Fax: +63 2 355 7640 www.bantoxics.org

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

Photo Credits: Luis Liwanag/SSNC Buck Pago – B/W pictures Ban Toxics!

26 Matalino St., Suite 332 Eagle Court, Diliman, Quezon City 1101 PHILIPPINES

Telephone: +63-2-355-7640 www.bantoxics.org

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