GIA has awarded a $50,000 grant to Mercury Free Mining (MFM) and the Alliance for Accountable Mining (ARM) to give attention to mitigating mercury use in artisanal gold mining in Ananea, Peru. The grant offers funding to guage ore-testing processes which have the potential to considerably scale back or eradicate the inadvertent launch of 5,440 kg of poisonous mercury every single day by greater than 15 million artisanal and small-scale gold miners (ASGM) world wide.
“We’re delighted that this GIA grant helps the invention and implementation of environment friendly gold ore focus strategies that will assist free hundreds of thousands of subsistence gold miners from their dependence on the marginal will increase in effectivity that mercury offers,” mentioned Toby Pomeroy, MFM Government Director. “It’s thrilling to be working for the wellbeing of miners and the earth in partnership with these impactful organizations.”
As well as, the GIA grant will assist improved livelihoods for the miners by serving to to advance the institution of clear provide chains that may make obtainable licensed, traceable, mercury-free gold for export.
This GIA grant represents a major transfer by the US jewellery trade to proactively tackle the issue of mercury air pollution that’s broadly related to subsistence gold mining.
The Ananea, Peru mission is a part of ARM’s Sustainable Mines Program, constructed on the CRAFT Code and the Fairmined Commonplace, the place miners can achieve entry to formal markets and a progressive path to enhance their mining practices. The GIA grant will assist the export and testing of gold ore samples from the Puno Area, positioned at 15,000’ elevation within the Andes.
“We’re excited to take part on this mission to mitigate the usage of mercury in such an necessary location as Ananea, Perú, by which hundreds of individuals depend upon artisanal and small-scale mining to thrive and make a good dwelling. Due to this grant we get an necessary alternative to show how mining will be executed in a accountable approach that cares for the surroundings and the well being of miners and works as a power for good in direction of communities and sustainable improvement,” mentioned Jonathan González, Fairmined Market Improvement Specialist at ARM.
The Ananea samples shall be despatched to modern processors within the USA, Colombia, and Peru for scientific evaluation and testing, demonstrating every processor’s effectivity in comparison with the miners’ conventional use of mercury for gold extraction. Primarily based upon the findings, the miners can select to implement a pilot program utilizing a number of of the processors the place they will decide for themselves the effectiveness, suitability, and potential monetary and well being advantages to their communities.
The testing processes and outcomes shall be rigorously monitored, and intensive scientific knowledge assortment will doc this system’s effectiveness and contributions to the affected communities. A mission report shall be submitted to GIA and would be the foundation for a particular article in a future situation of their scientific publication, Gems & Gemology.
“Shoppers care deeply about sustainability and accountable sourcing and need to see proof that the trade helps and embraces constructive initiatives throughout the provision chain,” mentioned Susan Jacques, GIA president and CEO. ”The important work supported by this grant is a vital a part of GIA’s client safety mission and our persevering with effort to advance sustainability and accountable sourcing by bringing the advantages of the worldwide commerce nearer to artisanal mining communities.”
