Mining In Ecuador

Mining in Ecuador

Mining consists of the process of extraction of minerals within a given area, which provides large resources to the country or companies that exploit it. In the case of Ecuador, the country has large deposits with a high mining potential, hence among the main objectives of the Ministry of Mines are concentrated in increasing the productivity of both the activity and the actors, with the condition of precautionary the impactenvironmental, all this in order to promote resources and development according to the National Development Plan. For this reason, this activity is regulated by both the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador (CRE) as well as the Mining Law, both in accordance with the principles of territorial planning.

In the case of the CRE of 2008, being the main organ of regulations in the country, it is recognized as the main duty of the State: “Plan national development, eradicate poverty, promote sustainable development and equitable redistribution of resources andwealth, to access good living ”, duties that are closely linked to the principles of Sumak Kawsay establish the guarantees that nature and communities have for the management of the territory, where:“ the right of the population to live is recognizedin a healthy and ecologically balanced environment, which guarantees sustainability and good living ”. To this is added the principle of developing regime which says: “Promote a balanced and equitable territorial planning that integrates and articulate sociocultural, administrative, economic and management activities, and that it contributes to the unit of the State.

In this way, it can be observed that the State recognizes various forms of organization and planIts priority is the correct and rational management of natural resources.

It should be mentioned that although the precepts of the CRE take into account various principles, these are always in accordance with the mining law in which state relations with the different mining companies, their structuring and the powers of the agency of the agency of the agency are already specifiedRegulation, which has the obligation to ensure the correct application, dictate regulations and technical plans so it must keep a registration and Castro miners that help for the bakery and control of this activity. The registration, as the name already indicates provides the information, name and data of the company and the exploited deposit, while the mining cadastre is information for its adequate employment in the planning and distribution of the territory. On the other hand, the cadastre issues the technical reports regarding the location and limits of mining rights. So it is clear that the exploitation of natural resources

“They will be giving the principles of sustainable and sustainable development, the protection and conservation of the environment and social participation and responsibility […] the exploration and exploitation of mining resources will be based on a public environmental sustainability strategy that will prioritize theSupervision, Comptroller, Regulation and Prevention of Environmental Pollution and Remediation ” 

Among the obligations of mining holders, the law considers that they have the obligation to use techniques that:

“Minimize damage to the soil, the environment, to the natural or cultural heritage, to the adjacent concessions, to third parties and, in any case, to compensate any damage or damage […]. The non -observance of methods and techniques […] will be considered as a cause of suspension of mining activities;In addition to the corresponding sanctions ’

For this, an exploration phase, impact studies, licenses and environmental audits mustoriginal channel;In the event that the plant layer is removed, the revegetation and reforestation with native species will proceed;To cumulate mining-metallurgical waste, your deposits must.) as well as its discharge in water sources is prohibited;waste management, ecosystem protection.

Regarding the issue of planning, Senplades develops guidelines for territorial assessment, which takes into account environmental aspects, economic and geological potentials, as well as the exclusion of areas for this activity. Next in the following table the planning phases are listed:

Illustration 1. Guidelines for mining activity planning. Source: Cabrera, K. (2019), P. 40

Although there is regulations and ways to mitigate environmental impacts, bring them to practice seems much more complicated since there are several problems than despite being contemplated in the laws, such as continuous threats of the acid drainage of mine, mine acid,that contaminates water with heavy metals and has an impact with water pollution, affecting its quality and extinguishing all forms of life in it. Likewise, the deposits do not contain resources in a single strategic area, but most are at great depths, and for their processing they are mixed with very toxic substances such as copper or arsenic. Consequently, the constant removal of the soil, makes it erosion and sediment in river or lake. To all this is added, the large amounts of water that are used, for Carlos Zorrilla (2018), this is the main problem since the concessions cover important water source.

The other reality is concentrated in the so -called “artisanal” mining that becomes illegal, which does not have control measures and much less has planning, studies or follow the established parameters for the mitigation of environmental damage. In the country, the areas with greater concentration of this activity are found in the province of Gold and in Imbabura. In the case of the first, the mining activity has caused subsidence, which have undermined the geological bases of the city preventing physical support, which has led the authorities to declare it in a state of exception. To this is added, pollution presents in groundwater and pondo rivers and Puyango, detecting the possible entry of heavy metals in the people who consume such water . The most serious case is presented in the province of Imbabura where illegal mining has devastated the forest of Buenos Aires and the loss of plant cover, the waste of mineral material already processed and placed in sacks, the erosion of the soil and pollutionof the water. On the other hand, the presence of this mine has mobilized a large number of people and have made the sector a “plastic city” lacking basic services and decent conditions, as well as child exploitation and mafias traffic.

Bibliography

• Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador [const.] (2008), Alfaro City, Ecuador.
• General Regulation to the Mining Law (2009). Ecuador.
• Cabrera, k. (2019). Zoning proposal for metal mining based on territorial planning, Sierra and Costa Norte, Ecuador (Master’s thesis). University of Salzburg, Quito.
• El Comercio (July 15, 2019). Identify environmental affectations in illegal mine in Buenos Aires, Imbabura. Trade. Recovered from: https: // www.trade.com/news/effects-environment-spine -ile-imbabura.HTML
• El Comercio (October 25, 2019). Illegal mining devastated the forest of Buenos Aires, in Imbabura. Trade. Recovered from: https: // www.trade.com/Actuality/Mining-Elgal-Devastacion-Bosque-Imbabura.HTML.
• Oviedo, R;Moina, e.;Naranjo, j. And ships, m. (2017). Heavy metal pollution in the south of Ecuador associated with mining activity. Bionatura Magazine, Vol. 2, num. 4, p. 437-441. Retrieved from: http: // revistabiontura.com/files/2017.02.04.5.PDF
• Zorrilla, c. (2018). The ABC of the mining problem in Ecuador. The line of fire. Recovered from: https: // lalineadefuego.INFO/2018/01/09/EL-ABC-DE-LA-POBLEMATICA-MINERA-EN-EL-ECUADOR-POR-CARLOS-ZORRILLA/
• geographical spaces in accordance with the guidelines of the CTE (urban nucleus perimeters, protected areas, river systems, etc.)