Emerald Miners: 10242007_Becherer_Emeralds007

An emerald worker is perched on a rock next to his generator and compressor that operate his air pressure driven rock drill as the morning sun creeps over the Western face of the mountain above the Panjshir Valley village of Khenj, Afghanistan on Wednesday, October 24, 2007. The river of mine tailings can been seen in the mountain in the background. The miners' work is of environmental concern and the miners often also extract and dump valuable metals that exist around the emerald according to Mohamad Ibrahim, the Minister of the Mines and Industry Ministry in Kabul.
October 24, 2007- Khenj, Afghanistan

An emerald worker is perched on a rock next to his generator and compressor that operate his air pressure driven rock drill as the morning sun creeps over the Western face of the mountain above the Panjshir Valley village of Khenj, Afghanistan on Wednesday, October 24, 2007. The river of mine tailings can been seen in the mountain in the background. The miners' work is of environmental concern and the miners often also extract and dump valuable metals that exist around the emerald according to Mohamad Ibrahim, the Minister of the Mines and Industry Ministry in Kabul.