'Earthing Laudato Si'

Since becoming pontiff in 2013, Pope Francis has placed great emphasis on the themes of love, mercy and the environment. Two years ago his encyclical ‘Laudato Si’ was published. Many environmentalists see it as a major boon to their efforts. Sr Majella McCarron is one. She is a long time advocate for communities who endeavour to protect a way of life centered around the environment. A way of life passed down through the generations. In recent times, this way of life has come increasingly under threat due to mining, fracking and drilling - a narrative currently playing out in the foothills of the Sperrin mountain range which has a high concentration of gold deposits.

Pictured following a Planning Appeal Hearing on Mickey Atty's house are (from left):  Fidelma O'Kane, Cormac McAleer, Dermot Monaghan, MBA Planning, Sr Majella McCarron, Peter Keenan and Isaac Ajibade.

Sr Majella McCarron has been examining the ‘Save Our Sperrins’ campaign in recent times. In her gentle Fermanagh lilt, Sr Majella wastes no time and begins the interview by explaining the concerns of the campaigners, the rationale behind the value placed in gold while she also outlines the extraction process.

“Gold is classed as a precious metal. Of itself gold has no economic value; rather it has an ascribed value because of its scarcity. It occurs naturally in small quantities of particles; it is very stable as it does not chemically combine, rust or corrode.

“Its primary use is jewellery and then in electronics, coins, dentistry and as a component in certain industries. The greater amount of gold is held in bank vaults. It is regarded as an investment security.

“In relation to gold the process involves leaching this rare element from crushed ore by using a solution containing cyanide regarded as a deadly chemical which cannot be disposed of but rather contained in tailings ponds without end. This threatens local water sources and the life therein.

An example of a temporary tailings pond in Colorado. Such ponds contain the waste material, including chemicals, left over after the gold has been extracted. It is believed these materials never dissolve. Image courtesy of www.washingtontimes.com.

The Sperrin mountain range straddles the counties of Tyrone and Derry in the north of Ireland. The region has a catchment population of approximately 150,000 men, women and children. Gold prospecting has been a reality for local residents since a mining firm arrived in Curraghinalt in the late 1980's. Dalradian, was granted a prospecting licence in recent years and arrived in the area in 2009. The license gives the Canadian company ‘mining rights’ to 120,000 hectares of land across Northern Ireland. According to a report in The Irish News, the Sperrin mountains site has been identified as one of the ‘top underdeveloped gold deposits by grade in the world’.

In a 2014 report by the BBC news website, Dalradian had said it can get millions of ounces of gold from the Sperrins over the 25-year life of the mine, creating hundreds of jobs during construction and operation.

Paragraph 183 of ‘Laudato Si’ reads:

“Environmental impact assessment should not come after the drawing up of a business proposition ...it should be part of the process from the beginning, and be carried out in a way which is...free of all economic or political pressure. It should be linked to a study of working conditions and possible effects on people’s physical and mental health, on the local economy and on public safety. Economic returns can thus be forecast more realistically, taking into account potential scenarios and the eventual need for further investment to correct possible undesired effects. A consensus should always be reached between the different stakeholders, who can offer a variety of approaches, solutions and alternatives. The local population should have a special place at the table; they are concerned about their own future and that of their children, and can consider goals transcending immediate economic interest....Honesty and truth are needed in scientific and political discussions;

Referring to this paragraph, Sr Majella noted:

“The argument for mining is economic.  However in the decision to mine, the economic factor has to be balanced with its consequences on the environment, the health, social and cultural life of the local population in situ and beyond. Laudato Si affirms the central role that local populations should have in decision-making that affects persons, landscapes and lifestyles”.   

The Fermanagh native points to the experiences of the Shell Corrib Gasline Project, the proposed Eirgrid electricity connector in Meath, Monaghan, Cavan and Tyrone and the fracking issue in Fermanagh, Leitrim and Clare.  Now, a new challenge presents itself in the Sperrin mountain region of the counties of Derry and Tyrone.

Cormac McAleer of the ‘Save Our Sperrins’ campaign summarised their main concerns:

"I see the greatest risks being: pollution of surface or underground water systems (acid mine water) arising from the exploration and mining; air pollution; risk to health; environmental pollution -  destruction not just of the amenity of the area - which is invaluable in itself - but also of the farming and tourism economy...the damage to the local community is incalculable..."

Speaking to the Irish News, Mr McAleer explained that cyanide is used to separate gold from ore and could cause ‘enormous damage if it entered the waterways’. The report also noted that Dalradian has set-up a special fund to provide grants to local organisations in the area, which he referred to as a ‘charm offensive’. 

A second campaigner against the mining project is Peter Keenan. In 2014, the Ulster Herald reported that his two hundred year-old ancestral residence, Micky Atty’s, was under threat of demolition due to the mine developments. Following a second planning hearing, the commissioner is soon due to deliver a judgement on the fate of the historic structure.

'Micky Atty's' - the two hundred year-old residence belonging to Peter Keenan. Image courtesy of the Save Our Sperrins Facebook page.

Across the world the mining of gold continues. Each community is faced with the same conundrum: jobs for local people set against possible damage to the environment and the quality of life for local residents. 

A recent report by RTÉ from the Silvermines area of Co. Tipperary demonstrates how a mine, closed for almost 25 years, continues to leave a negative legacy in the local area.

The ‘Save Our Sperrins’ Facebook page is also sprinkled with examples of gold mining stories from across the world which they feel offers their campaign both hope and inspiration. It notes the efforts of a remote community in Tanchara, north western Ghana who prevented their lands from been mined for gold. Ghana, formerly known as ‘Gold Coast’, continues to be one of the largest producers of gold in the world. The Facebook page also shares news of Cajamarca in Colombia. Local residents in the Colombian town chose their farming life over a $35 billion dollar gold mine. Does this mean that the tide may be turning in favour of the earth and local populations? Only time will tell. In the meantime, Sr Majella believes that putting 'Laudato Si' into action can only help our world and our environment:

“Laudato Si echoes all of the experiences and concerns of local populations impacted by businesses sourcing profit.  Engaging with local populations disrupted by businesses such as those of oil, gas and gold through drilling, fracking and mining, as is extensive experience globally,  is an exercise in Earthing Laudato Si.”

Links

• Click here to visit the 'Save Our Sperrins' Facebook page.
• Click here to visit the 'Greencastle Community Voices' Facebook page.
• Click here for more on the work of Sr Majella.
• Click here to visit the Care of the Earth section of the OLA website.
• Click here to listen to the RTÉ Radio 1 report from Silvermines, Co. Tipperary