“Gold mining in Penhalonga represents all methods of gold extraction from deep underground mining, to small-scale mining with mines only a few metres deep, through large-scale alluvial mining and the most
infamous gold panning. The area therefore is affected by the environmental impacts of each of these mining methods. It is a fact that whichever mining method, gold mining has environmental impacts that one needs to be always aware of. What might differ is the extent of the impact from one method to
another. In a rapid appraisal study of community members perception of environmental impacts it was clear that, as was expected the impacts that were said to be important were those that were visible and those with immediate impact. Other impacts that needed laboratory analysis to be identified and those with delayed effects were said to be not that important. People were more concerned with issues that had immediate and dramatic impact, which were visible to everyone.”
