As the landmines erode they leak heavy metals such as lead, and mercury into the ground. Because most mines have been buried in less populated areas they generally tend to be around agricultural land. If the mines themselves haven't prevented farming, the poison in the soil has rendered it incapable of producing a harvest. In Libya, for example, 33% of land has been declared dangerous due to landmines. Of the land that is left 68% is suspected of contamination, leaving only 32% of the land for agriculture. Deeply hurting local economies and communities. .
The problems associated with landmines were addressed in 1997 at the Ottawa Convention. The 1997 mine ban treaty was established to rid the world of the production, stockpiling, use, and transfer of landmines. The treaty, which was applauded around the globe, was signed by three-quarters of the world's nations, including all G-8 countries with the exception of Russia, and the United States. The U.S. has not used anti-personnel landmines since the 1991 Gulf War and was a leader in expressing its concern over the continued use of land mines. A statement by President Clinton prior to the establishment of the treaty demonstrates this, "Today I am launching an international effort to ban anti-personnel landmines. The U.S. will lead a global effort to eliminate these terrible weapons and stop the enormous loss of human life." Today the Pentagon maintains the U.S. right to use landmines because they play a vital and essential role by restricting troop movements. The current U.S. policy on landmines was announced in 1998 and in brief it states, the U.S. will stop the use of landmines in all areas of the world except North Korea by 2003, and the use of mines will stop in North Korea in 2006 if alternative methods have been developed. With a war in Iraq looming it appears the U.S will not honor its word of stopping in 2003. Plans are being set now to stockpile mines on the British territory of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to be loaded onto planes there and dropped over Iraqi troop territory.
