GIA Gives Grant to Support Mercury-Free Initiative

RAPAPORT... The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has awarded a $50,000 grant to help advance an initiative focused on eliminating the use of mercury in gold processing.The funds will enable Mercury Free Mining (MFM) and the Alliance for Responsible Mining (ARM) to evaluate new ore-testing processes, MFM said Wednesday.  These have the potential to "significantly reduce or eradicate" the release of mercury produced by artisanal and small-scale gold miners."This GIA grant supports the discovery and implementation of efficient gold ore concentration methods that may help free millions of subsistence gold miners from their dependence on the marginal increases in efficiency that mercury provides," said MFM executive director Toby Pomeroy.Some proceeds from the grant will also advance efforts to establish transparent supply chains that will make certified, traceable, mercury-free gold available for export. This will first be implemented in a project in Peru, which is part of ARM's Sustainable Mines Program. The GIA's funds will support the export and testing of gold ore samples from the country, the results of which will be used to determine the program's effectiveness, MFM explained."We are excited to participate in this project to mitigate the use of mercury in such an important location as Ananea, Peru, in which thousands of people depend on artisanal and small-scale mining to thrive and make a decent living," said Jonathan Gonz??lez, market development specialist for the Fairmined assurance initiative at ARM. "Thanks to this grant, we get an important opportunity to demonstrate how mining can be done in a responsible way that cares for the environment and the health of miners and works as a force for good towards communities and sustainable development."Image: Artisanal gold miners in the Ivory Coast. (Mercury Free Mining)