The other thing about these numbers, is that the 'footprint', does not relate to disturbed area, it is the area that KRY's MOC covers. The MOC does not cover all the area of all the concessions. Only 4000 hectares of it. And the 'footprint', the area covered under the MOC, is 1,100 hectares. Richard translated that to being about 4000 acres....maybe not too precisie, but the 1,100 hectares is. So the area around the camp that is f#*ked up, is only a tiny fraction of that in the MOC.
One other point about the look of the area. Remember that this area is subject to heavy runoff in the rainy season. So if there is muddy water in some areas, it would be from that, not active sluicing. I haven't been able to date the satelite shot, but EVERY time it rains heavily, that area gets flooded, to different degrees. So ther could very well be some hollows tht dry out more than others.....it's not an exact science., It hasn't rained like that, as far as I know, for quite some time. And in the satilite pic I saw, the muddy water had made it down and into a river, and that river was a muddy ribbon for many many kilometers.
So my conclussion is that that satelite shot is from back when it was a very wet rainy season.
Also remember that the damaged area is not fenced off and gaurded...it's way to big...so anyone can wander in, maybe pan a tinny bit of gold, enough to buy a few groceries. So anyone seen in a pic could be that, or a curious person, or a Nation Guardsman, and the pic could be 1-3 years old
One other point, Richard has not at all denied that there are illegal miners. He has pointed out that this has been going on for many many decades. What he IS saying is that they are not in the area around the camp.
Hope this helps to make it a little clearer.
Pen
