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Wednesday 28 November 2012

[wanita-muslimah] Toxins New Front in Maluku’s Battle Against Illegal Mining

03:15  BUDI WIBOWO  No comments

 

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Toxins New Front in Maluku's Battle Against Illegal Mining
Vonny Litamahaputty | November 28, 2012
 
Ambon, Maluku. The Trade Ministry is trying out its latest tactic to fight illegal mining operations on Buru Island, Maluku, targeting smugglers and pharmacies selling cyanide and mercury, two highly toxic substances often used by undocumented gold miners.

Yustinus Malle from Ambon's University of Pattimura said research conducted by his team has revealed an alarming level of cyanide and mercury in the ground, streams and coastal areas around Mount Botak, where the illegal miners operate.

Traces of cyanide and mercury were also found in marine organisms like seaweed and fish, which increases the chances of those living outside of Buru experiencing mercury or cyanide poisoning.

"From our water sample, ground sample and fish sample, all of them contain a concentration of mercury," Yustinus said.

Both substances are used to bind gold flakes in processed ores to form an amalgam, but both are extremely toxic and could even lead to death.

And Yustinus said that miners on Buru Island prefer the more toxic cyanide over mercury, saying the chemical binds the gold more effectively.

Cyanide can stop cells from using oxygen present in the bloodstream, causing cellular asphyxiation, respiratory arrest and death.

"Mercury has been absorbed into the ground, absorbed by plankton. This small organism gets eaten by small fish, the small fish are eaten by bigger fish," Yustinus said, adding that both mercury and cyanide bioaccumulate in the fish, which are then unsafe to consume.

Once cyanide contaminates large fish, the spread of cyanide will be uncontrollable as some fish swim all the way to the Banda Sea or Sulawesi.

Mercury can damage the nervous system and may lead to brain damage in unborn babies and young children.

Ujuk Manurung, an official from the Ministry of Trade, said the government is trying to stop the miners from acquiring cyanide and mercury to limit the health and environmental damage of their operation.

In Maluku, only three retailers are listed to be official suppliers of cyanide and mercury: Gideon Pharmacy, Reparisa Jaya and Walalahi Cooperative.

"One of the requirements [of distributing cyanide and mercury] is to have a license and be a listed distributor," said Ujuk, who leads a team to crack down the use of the substances.

Walalahi Cooperative, he added, is owned by an association used as a front for an illegal mining operation and is not a licensed distributor. The government, he said, will try to shut down the cooperative or ban them from selling and distributing cyanide and mercury.

However the substances are also being brought to Buru Island by smugglers from Jakarta, East Java and South Sulawesi.

This is the latest attempt to stop illegal mining in the area, which has reached an industrial scale. According to authorities, there are some 100,000 people operating roughly 5,000 illegal mining sites.

The Buru district's Population and Civil Registry Office has tried to stop the influx of people from Java, Makassar and Manado coming to the island to dig for gold by charging Rp 100,000 ($10.40) for each temporary residency document (SKDS).

The letters are only valid for one month and must be renewed at the same cost.

But for some it is a small price to pay for the promise of striking it rich, with gold prices soaring to around Rp 570,000 per gram. Enforcement of the SKDS policy is also rare, and in only a handful of cases where miners overstayed have they been deported or fined.

Meanwhile, the People's Mining Association has called the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry to issue mining concessions for undocumented miners instead of cracking down on them, which they say would bring tax revenue to the province and allow the government to better control the handling of toxic waste.

Suara Pembarua

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