As seen in the excerpt above, the process of gold mining is associated with very adverse impacts on the natural environment. The impacts that the mining causes on the environment later affects living organisms and human beings. These results have made it necessary for the government, nongovernmental organizations and stakeholder in the mining industries to come together and mitigate the adverse effects caused by the process of gold mining. This paper discusses the role of the government and nongovernmental organizations in reducing the negative impacts that gold mining causes on the environment (Angell & Klassen, 1999).
The government is the general director of the activities of the people and companies in any country. Through the governing system, legislation and rules can be made to regulate the process and extent of gold mining in the country (Fergurson & Langford, 2006). Mining methods that expose the environment to greater risks should be discouraged and if possible be banned from the nation. For instance, the heap leaching process of extraction entails the use of poisonous cyanide chemical and should not be allowed for use in the country. Heap leaching can be appropriate for use in gold extraction from low-grade ores, but its effects are very adverse and thus should be discouraged. It will be the role of the government to ensure that only environmental friendly processes are allowed to be used in the extraction of gold to reduce the effects of the gold mining processes to the environment (Fergurson & Langford, 2006).
Experienced and transparent personnel should conduct licensing to minimize cases of misappropriation in the issuance of licenses. The companies that should be permitted need to prove their worth and environmental knowledge about the process of gold mining and the effects associated with it (Oleary, 1999). Before a permit is issued, the machinery and staff of as company should be assessed and be approved for quality. This assessment is aimed at making sure companies use the in-form machines that will cause fewer effects on the environment through light emissions. The companies should sign an agreement to accept liability when anything goes wrong during the operation. If there is an accident that results from the extraction, the company should take full responsibility for the cleanup services. The companies should also be directed to fill up the pits and holes on the earth surface after exhaustion of the mines (Oleary, 1999).
The nongovernmental organizations role in the reducing of the adverse effects of gold mining should be through mass education and campaigns. Since gold mining causes land and air pollution, the organizations can enhance the reduction of the impacts by, educating the mining companies about safer methods of extraction and transportation and storage of poisonous materials used in the mining of gold (Slotton et al. 1995). The public should also be educated about the dangers associated with the process of gold mining. In the case where a mercury transporting truck overturned and people rushed to loot the mercury, it shows that the people were not aware of the lethal effects involved in handling heavy metals such as mercury. This example makes it necessary for the need of education about the impacts of gold mining and the chemicals used, and this role can be best played by the NGOs (Slotton et al. 1995).
Since gold mining is done majorly in remote areas, it is necessary to reduce the effects that are associated with the mining of gold on the environment. The government, NGOs and the stakeholders in the gold mining sector need to come together to reduce the effects to save the lives of the future generations.
REFERENCES
Angell, L. C., & Klassen, R. D. (1999). Integrating environmental issues into the mainstream: an agenda for research in operations management. Journal of Operations Management, 17(5), 575-598.
O'leary, R. (1999). Managing for the Environment Understanding the Legal, Organizational, and Policy Challenges. New York: Elsevier.
Fergusson, H., & Langford, D. A. (2006). Strategies for managing environmental issues in construction organizations. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 13(2), 171-185.
Tarras-Wahlberg, N. H., Flachier, A., Lane, S. N., & Sangfors, O. (2001). Environmentalimpacts and metal exposure of aquatic ecosystems in rivers contaminated by small scale gold mining: the Puyango River basin, southern Ecuador. Science of the Total Environment, 278(1), 239-261.
Slotton, D. G., Ayers, S. M., Reuter, J. E., & Goldman, C. R. (1995). Gold mining impacts on food chain mercury in northwestern Sierra Nevada streams. University of California Water Resources Center.
