Further evidence that open pit mining is not the issue, reread KRY's 6/24/08 PR:

At this meeting, Crystallexwas informed that MinAmb was instructed by the Government to reconsiderissuance of the Las Cristinas Environmental Permit to Affect NaturalResources (the "Permit") by discussing with Crystallexpossible modifications of the Las Cristinas project, which could enablethe Permit to be issued. The modifications suggested by the MinAmbrepresentatives fall within three main categories: (i) furtheroptimising the social projects in the area, (ii) mitigating the impactof open vein deposit mining in the currently affected areas of theImataca, and (iii) improving the remediation plans at the end of themine life as well as to remediate the existing environmental damagecaused by the il legal miners who have worked in the area.