The rudimentary techniques cause damage to the ecosystem
5/26/2008

Jaime Plaza. Coordinator

Water jets dropping by a yellow zigzag of gutters that connects to the creeks. Rivers in the semi-water contamination with mercury, lead and other minerals. Place green ragged by a thicket of holes, mountains of rubble and houses too modest.

That picture remains bright ensombrecedor the illusion of the golden boot of the bowels of the mountains, especially the South
While that search was already being done in the pre-colonial era and even preinc?sica (according to the review of the Chamber of Mines of Ecuador), the new era began at the beginning of last century.

In 1904 establishing the South American Development Company (Sadco) for prospecting, exploration, development and production of mine Portovelo (Gold). Until 1950, its estimated gold production reached 3 500 000 ounces. But after the departure of Sadco the country, began operating through its former workers.

In recent years also expanded to Nambija (Zamora Chinchipe), then to the mountains Molleturo (Azuay) and Bella Rica, in Ponce Enriquez (Azuay).

But the artisanal process executed by these new small miners remained until today. For Edgar Lopez, dean of the Faculty of Geology, Mining, Oil and Environment (Figempa) from the Central University, that is the determining factor for environmental damage. "The methods are rudimentary and antit?cnicos. In addition, such as mineral recovery is low and the economic benefits are minimal, small miners are not going to invest in control and environmental remediation. "

The professor argues that this is a reason for concessions to large companies. "This will ensure the use of appropriate techniques to prevent pollution and other consequences. Most of these works under laws of the Canadian and Australian mining, which prioritize environmental conservation ".

Incidentally, according to Byron Vizcaino, the National Directorate of Mining (dynamics) of the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, there are only two techniques of exploitation: open pit and underground. "But around these there are a number of variables according to the topography of the site." The official acknowledged advantages and disadvantages in both techniques.

So far in the country dominated by technical ground and the first time, it will Ecuacorrientes opencast for metallic minerals in hard rock, in El Pangui, in Zamora Chinchipe. Alloa exploit copper and molybdenum (used for the production of steel).
However, sectors environmentalists insist that the very fact of extracting minerals and alter ecosystems. Indeed, much of this activity takes place in protected areas.

But Gerardo Herrera, director of the Research Institute Figempa, ruling that "one thing is that the sector is declared protected area after it is known that there is no mineral resources. That is to try to cause problems for the company. "

According to the database of the dynamic, until May 21 last in the country there are 3 691 mining concessions, of which 1 330 are construction materials: stony as sand, gravel and Molon. Of these, 650 are in the operational phase, is the majority of construction materials, apart from those of metallic and non metallic minerals.

Vizcaino acknowledged that there are no defined parameters for environmental licensing of mining concessions. Each case is reviewed by a multidisciplinary team of the National Environmental Protection Mining (Dinapam). This consists of a sociologist, a biologist, geologists, mining, civil engineers and chemists. Until now Dinapam has shown no environmental licenses, although it adopted several studies. In addition, it requested the suspension dynamics several mining plans to propose environmental remediation.

For its part, the Ministry of Environment now only regulates and licenses when concessions are within national parks.

Meanwhile, Edgar Lopez cree the benefit to communities is not reflected in the companies that make certain works such as schools, sports fields? "The important thing is that armen real development projects or perhaps the community is part of the mining company. Besides that the community should also be part of environmental monitoring. "


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