Illegal Exploitation of Gold And Coal
The study of the Ombudsman shows how the illegal exploitation of gold and coal, mainly done in 490 municipalities, i.e. 44% of the country. Illegal activity is sponsored in most cases by criminal gangs and caused damage to water sources and air.
In the case of Antioquia, the use of cyanide and mercury Affects Rivers environmentally Segovia, Remedies and Zaragoza in nearly a thousand times above international standards of the World Health Organization.
The departments with the most difficulties are: Córdoba, Boyacá, Risaralda, Quindío, Valle, Caldas and Antioquia. They nearly 15 000 families live in illegal mining.
The report of the Ombudsman also notes that last year were awarded mining rights in 122 hectares of moorland which supplies the regional water supply. This would put at risk of disappearing in 22 of those 34 areas. Something similar happens with the forest reserves of 51.5 million hectares, about 1.3 million is mining.