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Reference.org
Coltan mining and ethics
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<p><a href="/facts/Coltan/5s1wmyfr">Coltan</a> is the colloquial name for the mineral columbite-tantalum ("col-tan"). In the early 21st century coltan mining is associated with <a href="/facts/Human_Rights_Violations/WMW5XCdM">human rights violations</a> such as <a href="/facts/Child_labour/rhdNHpXK">child labour</a>, systematic <a href="/facts/Exploitation_of_labour/SSy9Hk6V">exploitation</a> of the population by governments or militant groups, exposure to toxic chemicals and other hazards as a result of lax environmental protection, and general safety laws and regulations. Coltan mining in Venezuela, especially in the Orinoco Mining Arc, has led to deforestation, water contamination, and human rights violations. Issues like forced labor, Indigenous displacement, and corruption highlight broader challenges of neoextractivism and conflict mineral regulation. </p>