Gold

Wildcat gold mining in Death Valley threatens to contaminate its alluvial sands with cyanide open pits; native tribes mount opposition

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A BLM-approved mine operating nonstop as an open pit on the mesas above the Lone Pine community of the Paiute Shoshone Tribe would leach gold from heaps of crushed ore using tons of cyanide each day in the process, according to a description of Vancouver, Canada-based K2 Gold Group’s outline of the project by the LA Times. The company has been drilling eastern flanks of the Sierra Nevada range, seeking results that would excite investors and make the plans a reality.

However, “K2 is in for a hell of a fight,” says Bryan Hatchell, a desert policy associate with one of the non-profits that have lined up a resolute coalition of environmentalists and tribal nations opposing the project that include the Sierra Club, Friends of the Inyo, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Lone Pine Paiute Shoshone Tribe and the Timbisha Shoshone Tribe. “Mining here is off the table,” said Hatchell.

Opponents say they are concerned about destruction of historic remains and Native American cultural sites as well as impact on wildlife and the environment.

By Milan Sime Martinic

Mountain of gold discovered in Africa, mining banned while authorities figure what to do

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Luhihi Mountain in Congo’s South Kivo province is currently the scene of a gold rush, with some reports stating that the mountain is 60-90% gold. News of the mountain of gold caused hundreds of people to flock to the area with picks and shovels and a lot of ambition.

Melees erupted as masses of people worked up a frenzy to strike it rich with a handful of the precious metal. In turn, their actions caused the government to issue a decree banning mining on the mountain until new rules could be established, “Not only to protect lives but also to guarantee the traceability of the gold produced in accordance with Congolese law.”

The minister assured citizens that the suspension was made in order to identify the miners and ensure that they are registered with the regulators. “Traders, miners, and the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) must abandon the Luhihi mines and are prohibited from mining until further notice,” said the decree.

The discovery of the mound of gold ore is perhaps as significant for Congo as was the discovery of the Silver ore in Potosi, current-day Bolivia, in the 1500s, say mining analysts. The silver mountain made the former Inca hamlet the economic center of the world and transformed it into the wealthiest and most powerful city in the world at the time.

By Milan Sime Martinic