Are silver and copper mined more responsibly than gold?
The short answer is no. While the mining reform effort has focused on gold because of its high visibility and economic value, silver, copper, platinum, palladium, zinc and lead are also part of the story. Silver, copper and lead can be by products of gold mining; gold and silver can be by-products of copper mining; and copper and gold can be by-products of silver mining. As much as 75% of silver production comes from mining gold, copper, lead, and zinc. Each year at the Kennecott, Utah Corporation s Bingham Canyon (copper) mine, the precious metals refining plant pours out 500,000 troy ounces of gold and 4 million troy ounces of silver, surpassing the production of many large primary gold mines. The extraction of metals from low grade ore through leaching techniques and the disposal of mine wastes and pollutants released by the smelting process all contribute to the mining industry s reputation as the top polluter worldwide. The human rights abuses associated with gold mining are often
