Among them are 1,500 working on Australian mining company Aurora Gold's Talawaan gold concession, where more than 100 trommels are in operation. According to the Bureau of Statistics, mercury imports reached 62 tonnes last year, up from five tonnes in 1996. But people familiar with mining and environmental issues say illegal mining consumes as much as 200 tonnes of mercury annually in Talawaan alone. That compares with the 60 tonnes of methyl mercury dumped between 1920 and the mid-1960s in Minamata, Japan, scene of the world's worst case of mercury contamination. Methyl mercury is more easily absorbed than metallic mercury, but the effects are the same, particularly if trommel operators breath in the toxic fumes during the final burn-off.
Miners get little reward for their huge risks.
When the miner has gone, the trommel owner draws out the rest. Review Publishing Company Limited, Hong Kong. All rights reserved. Search Tips Prev.