Scotland's first gold mine could open soon

Modern gold mines use acid and other dangerous chemicals to leach out the gold from the rocks. In many cases they poison the water table and destroy the immediate environment.

Modern gold mines use acid and other dangerous chemicals to leach out the gold from the rocks. In many cases they poison the water table and destroy the immediate environment. Yes a very bad idea to let this sort of thing go ahead. They use cyanide which inevitably leaches into the water table. They also have a very bad habit of setting up shell companies which go bust and leave the Government to clear up their mess. We really don't need gold enough to level whole mountains and generate vast piles of toxic slag all so a medallion man can shown off his hairy chest encrusted in gold. Br Corneliu... [More]

As a geologist at a gold mine I feel that the last two comments are very close minded. When the proper environmental proceedures are followed there is very little impact on the environment. As well your ideas of leaching are also very wrong, I would suggest recerching a topic before making comments about it.

Golden Boy Than can you please tell us and instruct us to a site at least on how the methods and procedures you use and other enviornmentally friendly miners...if you can say such mine gold? I am seriously interested thank you. The one thing I dont like is that they are doing this at a national park...like we have little as is...dear gahd. If they were going to use the gold for something amazing such as techolongical advances and medicinal advances that would be one thing. However that isnt the case when 75 percent of gold is used in jewerly and a vast amount sitting in vaults...not very advan... [More]

As a geologist at a gold mine I feel that the last two comments are very close minded. When the proper environmental proceedures are followed there is very little impact on the environment. As well your ideas of leaching are also very wrong, I would suggest recerching a topic before making comments about it. As an environmental scientist I have been investigating cyanide heap leaching in Gold Mines. Not a nice track record at all. Also with a 2% or so recovery rate that involves carving out one hell of a chunk of national park to gain very little gold. We certainly can do without it. Br Cornel... [More]

Puridalan Here in Canada there are environmental regulations that need to be followed and special permits that need to be obtained if one wants to start any kind of mine. One of the first steps it to show a plan consiting of all steps in the mining process including how the company will re-green any area that has been disturbed. Failure to foolow any of these results in major fines and the company paying for any environmental clean up. Finally, every mine has an environmental department to over see these and other environmental issues that may arise. I do understand that in the past mining was... [More]