The Executive Director of Aruntani, affirms that gold mining activity is expanding rapidly.
Within the framework of the «III Pending Agenda of the Mining Sector 2016», engineer Guido del Castillo mentioned his concern for the advanced gold mining deforestation occurring in our Amazon.
Since the 1980s, the gold rush has attracted hundreds of miners to the Peruvian Amazon; specifically to the department of Madre de Dios. Since 2002, gold mining activity has been expanding at a faster rate due to the high prices of the golden metal.
His successful experience in the mining business has allowed Eng. Guido del Castillo Echegaray, Founder and CEO of Aruntani Mining Company, to become an authorized voice to give his vision on the problems generated in relation to gold mining in Madre de Dios. «It is a mistake to talk about informal or irregular miners. The correct thing to do is to refer to the existence of artisanal workers, worthy heirs of the Mochica culture, who without any type of state aid have managed to extract high amounts of gold», highlighted the mining businessman.
According to the CEO of Minera Aruntani, there are two reasons why the miners of Madre de Dios cannot be classified as illegal. Firstly, because they do not work in areas where mining is prohibited; and secondly, because they work in concessions that do not exceed 1,000 hectares and their production is 25 metric tons per day.
Production in the area has decreased in recent years. This is due to violent interdictions that have culminated in the destruction of mining machinery such as tractors, front loaders, among others. In this regard, engineer Guido del Castillo mentioned: «I think it is a problem that has not been handled properly. In Madre de Dios there is a great potential to carry out the best projects».
According to data provided by the Ministry of Energy and Mines, gold production in this region has declined since 2011; when it reached 49899.428 pounds (lb.). In 2012, it only achieved 27055.129 lb. and 2015, it reached 28038.391 lb. In total, since 2010, gold production in Madre de Dios totaled almost 91 tons.
This high production allows us to question the high level of deforestation in this department of the Amazon. Eng. Guido del Castillo was emphatic in affirming that the forests are recovering through the natural reforestation processes of the environment. «Taking as a source the data of the Ministry of Environment, in relation to the Loss of Amazon Rainforests, during 2001-2014; the department that has deforested the least is Madre de Dios, with 111,124 hectares. Compared to Ucayali (238,787 ) and Loreto (282,865 ha), he noted.
Regarding the level of mercury contamination attributed in the region. «The mercury that evaporates, being an element of high specific weight, is precipitated back to the ground in spheres and is lost within the rubble and deposited in the «bedrock». This should be approximately 50 meters from the surface, avoiding contamination in quantity,» said Eng. Guido del Castillo.
During his presentation at the «III Pending Agenda of the Mining Sector», engineer Guido del Castillo mentioned and requested the legislature to review Supreme Decree 16-2014EM. This decree is titled «Control of Chemical Inputs». In this decree, the mistake is classifying substances such as gasoline and oil within this category; since they are combustible elements. According to the founder of Aruntani Mining Company, the articles, as well as the final and transitory provisions of this decree are causing problems for the population, limiting people’s access to fuel. Also, individually, the villagers can purchase a maximum of 5 liters of gasoline and 10 liters of oil on a daily basis.
Finally, he also referred to the destruction of mining machinery, as happened in Puno. In Puno, 200 police officers and 10 prosecutors specialized in fiscal crimes participated in the destruction of a front loader and two small dredges, which have been used by artisanal miners in the region. Likewise, before the police intervention, reconnaissance work was carried out by the Army, National Police and Navy.
«This has been an aerial bombardment against the dredges, something that is typical of totalitarian regimes. How can you bomb a dredge? The interesting thing is that a dredge in Holland, the country that builds them, costs millions of dollars. The ones that have been bombed are made in Juliaca, with an extraordinary mechanical ingenuity! Instead of destroying them, they should give an award to all those workers», concluded the mining businessman, who last May, during the II Mining Entrepeneurs Award Ceremony, was awarded by the Chamber of Mines of Peru, for his professional career and constant contribution to the economic, cultural and social development of Peru.
For this reason, the Chamber of Mines of Peru disseminates good practices in mining, to avoid irresponsible gold mining deforestation; but rather to help reforest the affected areas.
