Better Without Mercury
Rolberto Alvarez has been leading the Gualconda mine in Colombia through a multi-year restoration project in an area of the mine that was contaminated with mercury. Spanish with English subtitles (click the ‘cc’ for English).
Filmed in 2020, translated and formatted by generous and talented volunteers, this video is a specific dive into one of the ways Rolberto and his colleagues are sourcing plants for the site reforestation.
2019 Phase One - Thank You Video
This video was produced by La Fortaleza to both document progress made to date and to say, “Thank you!” to the all the generous donors and onsite volunteers that made completing PHASE I possible.
Original campaign launch video!
Better Without Mercury is a fundraising campaign to remove mercury contamination from an artisanal gold mine in Colombia and restore the land. La Fortaleza stopped using mercury to process its gold ore in 2017, but after decades of mining with mercury, contaminated soils remain. Mercury is a bio-magnifying neurotoxin that knows no boundaries.
Our Goal:
$65,000
Raised to Date: $27,709.90
Our Backers: 32 (Thank you!!)
Help Get the Mercury Out Fund
Join us to Get the Mercury Out
Mercury in water is bad for everyone. Be part of the solution. Support a mercury clean-up project that keeps this neuro-toxin out of the water.
Our Story
This is completely doable. Together we can clean up the remaining 400 tons of mercury contamination at the Fairmined certified Gualconda mine in Colombia.
In 2017, after four decades of using mercury, the miners at Gualconda fully transitioned their gold ore processing away from mercury. Now, the only obstacle standing in the way of their mercury-free dream is the remediation of the original processing site.
To make this remediation project feasible for the miners (a 13 member association, “La Fortaleza”) they need outside support. Gold jewelry, from gold mined by an association of miners that really cares about mining responsibly, is better without mercury.
Background
In 2008, miner Rolberto Alvarez, assumed a leadership role to advance Gualconda’s commitment to eliminate the use of mercury. He dreamed of a better, cleaner future for his community.
Rolberto is both a miner and an activist. He is the General Assistant of the Gualconda mine, and President of La Fortaleza (a 13 member association). After ten years of hard work, associates of La Fortaleza realized their goal of eliminating mercury from the mining process.
As of December, 2017 La Fortaleza has a new ore processing plant that is mercury-free. Now there is only one more mercury issue to tackle: Clean up the original processing site!
Site plan post mercury clean-up developed by the Regional Environmental Authority.
This project is a fundraiser to enable La Fortaleza to correct the past. The association’s Fairmined certification mandates the use of best environmental practices. If we act now, we will help the miners rectify past actions, clean-up the environment, and protect the community from mercury poisoning.
Today, Rolberto and La Fortaleza are committed to a mercury clean-up plan, based on recommendations from the regional Environmental Authority.
The plan includes the complete remediation of the original processing site. Contaminated soil will be removed from water sources, and stored in a secure holding area. Finally, it will be overlaid with several feet of soil, seeded with native plants and will become a destination site for visitors.
Sourcing from responsible artisanal mines is a good first step, but learning where else miners need help and stepping in is another. While this is just one of many mines, Gualconda could become a model for others because mining is better without mercury.
ROLBERTo alvarez, (General Assistant of the Gualconda mine) and Christina T Miller (Sustainable jewelry consultant and Ethical Metalsmiths co-Founder) speaking about what IS NEEDED to remediate and restore the contaminated site. Photo: Fairmined
“They want the jewelry that comes from their mine to be free from the burden of pollution.”
Rolberto and his extended Family are seen here responding to questions asked by visitors. IMAGE: Fairmined
The AREA Contaminated with Mercury sits adjacent to a pristine mountain stream making the remediation of the site a priority for La Fortaleza and the regional Environmental authority. IMAGE: video still from FRANCE 24’s Spanish Channel.
Alexandre, a Miner from GUalCONDA, shows a sign Highlighting the plan for how the mercury contaminated site will look after restoration. IMAGE: Fairmined
“The cost of this clean-up effort is estimated at $65,000 USD.”
PHASE II - RESTORATION Progress Images
PHASE I - CLEAN UP Progress Images
BEFORE IMAGES
You can make an impact!
Group portrait Taken at Gualconda in March 2018. Group includes: Fairmined staff, jewelers, Consultants, Miners, Regional Environmental Authority. seven Different countries ARE REPRESENTED Photo: Fairmined
Project Partners and Donors: Old Friends and New Friends
In March, 2018 an international group of people representing a variety of jewelry related businesses (jewelers, refiners, gold traders, and activists) traveled to Colombia with the Alliance for Responsible Mining. The purpose of the trip was to meet artisanal mining communities holding Fairmined certification, deepen these fair trade relationships, and create a strong network.
Together we met Rolberto Alvarez and committed in the moment to help him eliminate mercury pollution at the Gualconda mine. This first group of fundraisers are the project partners. They recognize that gold is better without mercury.
Project Partners: Old Friends
Hoover & Strong - United States - Special thanks to Hoover & Strong for supporting the pre-fundraiser scientific review of the project plans including mercury testing, plans analysis, and storage area engineering.
Linhaus - United States
Moda Elan - Colombia
Paulette à Bicyclette - France
Made Line Jewelry - United States
Vipaka - United States
Alloy - Colombia
Elena Elovainio - Finland
Ethical Jewels - Italy
WWAKE - United States
Susan Wheeler Design - United States
This Is Ian - Scotland
The Precious Metals Workshop - Scotland
TRAID Gold - Germany
Donors: New Friends
The miners of La Fortaleza have contributed over $12,000 of their own resources to the project.
Join us, we we can’t do it without you!
Thank you:
John Richmond - United States
Christina T. Miller - United States
Kathleen Lynagh - United States
Michelle Michael - United States
Wendy Woldenberg - United States
Ethical Jewels - Italy
Linhardt Design - United States
Saskia Shutt - Belgium
Bario Neal - United States
Lara Crampe - United States
Judy Geib - United States
Thesis Gems & Jewelry - United States
BY Jewellery - Zuzanna Bytomska - Poland
WWAKE - United States
Emily Chelsea Jewelry - United States
TAP by Todd Pownell - United States
Susan Wheeler Design - United States
Seaworthy - United States
Utopian Creations - Australia
NK Jewel Art - United States
Sharon Z Jewelry - United States
East Fourth Street - United States
Sabrina Jewell - United States
Jessica Hudson - United States
Dana Bronfman - United States
Mercurious Jewelry - United States
Damadeo - United States
Megan Coghill - United Kingdom
Lisa Koenigsberg - United States
Truss and Ore - United States
Tiffany Stevens - United States
Jai Hui Chung - Singapore
Go Fund - Better Without Mercury
This project is being completed in three phases.
Please note: We are now fundraising for Phase II! This is a dynamic project, active and in-progress. La Fortaleza will regularly keep us informed of progress. We’ve made some changes to reflect the real-time evolution of the project.
Please help us reach our goals today. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.
Better Without Mercury - Phase by Phase Progress
Each set of columns represents a different phase of the program.
The fund goal is indicated by the grey bar and the amount we have raised to date is indicated by the green bar.
Phase 1
CLEAN UP! Build secure holding area, remove contaminated material, transport contaminated soil to the secure holding area and regrade the cleaned up site.
Phase 2
RESTORATION! The area that has been cleaned will be regraded, landscaped and planted with native plants and trees. The 1000 meter nature trail will be completed.
Phase 3
EDUCATION! Finish the construction of the historical mining equipment for educational purposes and finish the habitat for fish and ducks. This will become a responsible mining learning site for the future.
Project Expenses
Budget
Fundraising Goal - $65,000*
Miner from la Fortaleza tending to seedlings for the remediation project. PHoto: Rolberto Alvarez, 2018
Expenses:
$55,000 - La Fortaleza Association for remediation and restoration work
$3,900 - Ethical Metalsmiths fiscal sponsorship fee = 6% of total raised
Bank wiring fees. TBD
2.9% + 0.30 per transaction to Stripe (credit card transaction tool used by Squarespace - Ethical Metalsmiths's website platform).
*The goal may be increased or reduced based on real-time project expenses.
Funds raised will be released to La Fortaleza periodically in coordination with actual on the ground work.
Project Team
This project is being lead and coordinated by on the ground by Rolberto Alvarez with support from Christina Tatiana Miller
“Real mining wealth comes when we can know that we are part of a sustainable and responsible economy.”
Rolberto Alvarez
Rolberto Alvarez the general manager of Gualconda and has been a miner since childhood. He is the current legal representative of the Asociación Agrominera de los Andes “Fortaleza.”
Christina Miller
Christina is an independent sustainable jewelry consultant, providing strategy, guidance, and impact measurement to help jewelers make lives better around the world. Christina is co-founder and advisory council chair of Ethical Metalsmiths.