US launches project to reduce dangers of mercury

A PROJECT has been launched to address the danger of using mercury in the alluvial and small-scale gold mining sector.
The project “reducing mercury use in Papua New Guinea’s artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector”, was launched in Port Moresby on Friday.
It is a two-year project funded by the US department of state and executed by the Canadian organisation, the Artisanal Gold Council (AGC).
ACG will work with the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA).
US Agency for International Development director of strategic planning office James Parys said the United States appreciated the economic potential the sector has and this project shows the robust relationship with PNG.
AGC project manager Jennifer O’Neill said while artisanal (or alluvial) and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) was often associated with social and environmental degradation, it is in fact recognised by many countries and multilateral international development agencies, such as the United Nations and World Bank, as a significant poverty relief mechanism and an important opportunity for development.
“Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is an excellent mechanism for transferring wealth from the urban wealthy to the rural poor where there are few other economic opportunities,” O’Neill said.
“Mercury is a highly toxic heavy metal that cannot be destroyed and persists in the environment.
“It is a poor but simple and cheap method to extract gold that many miners rely upon to derive an income.”