Perceptions and realities about pollution in the mining community of San José de Avino, Durango

Water pollution in the town of San José de Avino has been attributed to mining activity. Residents were the first to detect it due to the color of a stream coming from some of the wells that traditionally supplied drinking water. They initially presumed that norms regulating mining activity (which has been conducted for 500 years) have not been observed. This created tensions between the residents and the mining company, demanding on several occasions the intervention of the authority. No explanation was being provided as to the origin of the pollution or a solution, with the focus getting lost in the debate about natural versus anthropogenic origins. This investigation analyzed the perception of residents and mine owners about the problem and demonstrated that the pollution was caused by mining activity. Nevertheless, it did not occur as a result of failure to follow regulations. The regulations were primarily aimed at processes regarding the benefit of the mineral and its waste. The preliminary activities had been set aside. For example, in this particular case, banks of inert material have formed which have released significant amount of heavy metals into the environment due to leaching. This would require systematic regulation. The environmental impact statements related to "dumps" can be approved without considering these factors.