The environmental impact of mining activity is very high, so Peru tries to control and minimize it while fighting against illegal mines.
Mining is one of the activities with the greatest environmental impact. In some countries, such as Peru, the mining sector is one of the pillars of the economy and exports. This activity contributes 20% of tax revenues, around 15% of the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 60% of exports in Peru. Therefore, its impact on the environment is high and needs to be controlled.
The main problem is the chemicals used to separate the minerals from the ore, such as cyanide, mercury, sulfuric acid and solvents, as well as the metals, such as arsenic, lead, cadmium or chromium, found in the minerals to be extracted. Contamination is mainly caused by particulate matter, which is transferred to the soil, air and water, or by effluents, which directly affect the subsoil and rivers. This contamination also reaches people through the air they breathe, the water they drink or the plants and animals they eat that may have been contaminated. In addition, it should be noted that the mines alter the topography of the area, which in areas of special natural value is of great importance.
In recent years, Peruvian legislation has become increasingly stringent with the mining sector in order to control and minimize environmental impact. Among the measures that companies must take is the obligation to make closure plans or to monitor air quality, as well as to submit an annual environmental report. However, political instability has prevented the development of a long-term line of work and some companies are relying on legal loopholes to avoid adapting their activities to the new requirements.
In Peru, beyond the high level of mining exploitation, which is being controlled by new laws, there is a serious problem with illegal mining, which does not understand regulations and is destroying large areas of important environmental value. A clear example is La Pampa, an area located in the Madre de Dios Region, where illegal gold mining has caused an environmental disaster in one of the most biodiverse jungles in the world.
TEMA works with mining companies in the country, as well as with environmental authorities to investigate and identify contaminated sites, as well as to remediate them and comply with legal requirements. In addition, it has conducted several studies to identify strategies and methodologies to improve affected areas, such as the implementation of a pilot program to evaluate the development of grasses in soils degraded by mining activity and determine which ones can be used to revegetate acidic soils and thus take advantage of their phytostabilizing tendencies, that is, to remove contaminants such as metals from the soil through their roots. This valuable work will continue to be promoted with the aim of proposing and implementing measures to minimize the environmental impact caused by mining activity in Peruvian territory.
