Gold Mining/Newmont Gold Mines in Nevada

“The more 
you know,the less
gold glows.”

INTRODUCTION:

Newmont is a mining corporation with operations in the Mojave Desert located in Nevada. Each year Newmont earns over 9 billion dollars. In 2008, They mined nearly 140,000 pounds of gold from Nevada, worth 2 billion dollars (Great Basin Resource Watch). The mineral extraction method Newmont primarily uses is open pit hard rock mining. Gold mining may bring in lots of money, but it is a destructive industry that is harming environments all over the world.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Newmont is based out of Greenwood Village, Colorado, with operations all over the country. They are not the only people mining Nevada, as the state produces 79% of all gold in the United States (New York Times). Nevada is primarily a desert region, where open pit hard rock mining is prevalent. This type of mining requires a method known as long wall mining which includes a wall being drilled into, one slice at a time typically 0.6 to 1.0 m thick, to extract minerals. This method also produces a lots of waste.

DISCUSSION:

Hard rock mining can produce enormous amounts of waste that pollutes and damages the environment around the mine. For every third of an ounce extracted, 20 tons of toxic waste is produced (Brilliant Earth).This toxic waste is referred to as acid mine drainage.  Acidic water draining from mine sites can be 20 to 300 times more concentrated than acid rain, and it is toxic to living organisms (Smithsonian). This waste is often dumped in rivers, killing plants and animals and destroying ecosystems. In Canada, this toxic water destroyed a dam. At the world's estimated 3,500 dams built to hold mine waste, one or two major spills occurs every year.. unwanted minerals are often cleared with cyanide, which releases cyanide gas into the air. This is the same gas used by Nazis in gas chambers during WWII. As the unhealthy practices of mining continue, governments around the world are doing little to stop them; some are even aiding them. One company called Barrick has a license from the Australian government to use 17 million liters of its water per day (Corpwatch). Some individuals and corporations are trying to fight the gold mining industry. In Tanzania, a group of radicals forced one gold mining company’s operations out of the country, and tragically killed more than 50 miners. The EPA also filed a violation against Newmont for its destructive mining practices.

CONCLUSION:

It is clear that gold mining is destructive to our world. It is polluting ecosystems, killing plants and animals, causing lots of damage to our air and water. Though some efforts have been made to stop this, No one has been able to do anything about the immense mining operations all over the world. All this is being done to feed the demand of consumers, so it is up to you as the general public to make a change. One way we can help is by limiting our jewelry purchases, or buying recycled gold jewelry from websites like www.brilliantearth.com So, next time you want to by some jewelry, remember, the more you know, the less gold glows.

WORK CITED:

"Brilliant Earth." Brilliant Earth. Web. 13 Jan. 2016. <http://www.brilliantearth.com/gold-mining-environment/>.

"The Environmental Disaster That Is the Gold Industry." Smithsonian. Web. 13 Jan. 2016. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/environmental-disaster-gold-industry-180949762/?no-ist>.

"Environmental Problems at Newmont Mines in Nevada January 11 2011." Great Basin Resource Watch. Web. 13 Jan. 2016. <https://www.earthworksaction.org/files/pubs-others/Newmont-in-Nevada-2010.pdf>.

Perlez, Jane, and Kirk Johnson. "Behind Gold's Glitter: Torn Lands and Pointed Questions." New York Times. Web. 13 Jan. 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/24/world/behind-golds-glitter-torn-lands-and-pointed-questions.html>.

"BARRICK’S DIRTY SECRETS." Corpwatch. Web. 13 Jan. 2016. <http://s3.amazonaws.com/corpwatch.org/downloads/Barrick_final_sml.pdf>.