London Mining NetworkCoal | London Mining Network

Police attack Bangladesh environmental protest

Richard — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:42:36 +0000

Environmental protesters in Dhaka say they were beaten up by police as they attempted to demonstrate for more renewable energy. The protesters demanded, among other things, that the Government of Bangladesh continue to oppose plans for London-listed GCM Resources‘ large open cast mine in Phulbari in North Western Bangladesh.

See http://www.blottr.com/world/breaking-news/police-attack-bangladesh-environmental-protest.

Protests threaten energy-hungry miners in Chile

Richard — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:35:40 +0000

Residents close to a proposed new coal-fired power plant in Chile’s Atacama desert region claim its emissions will harm air quality. They also say the temperature of water, released back into the ocean, will impact fish and marine life. The plant is designed to provide power to major copper mining projects, and the proposal is “seen as a litmus test for a string of other potential flashpoints in Chile”.

This article mentions, among others, Anglo American, BHP Billiton and Xstrata.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11695.

Campaign Update: Bangladesh: Mining Company Renews Efforts

Richard — Sat, 12 May 2012 08:17:36 +0000

With the appointment of a new director, the London-based company GCM Resources is redoubling its efforts to install the Phulbari coal mine in Northern Bangladesh, despite calls by the UN for the project’s immediate halt. Please take action!

See http://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/campaign-update-bangladesh-mining-company-renews-efforts or http://indigenouspeoplesissues.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14975:bangladesh-mining-company-renews-efforts&catid=33:central-asia-indigenous-peoples&Itemid=66

No to CoAL!

Richard — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:09:59 +0000

Video from Water Open Day

The London-listed mining corporation Coal of Africa Ltd (CoAL) continues to push forward with plans to open a coking coal mine in the Venda region of South Africa.

A recent meeting between the the company and the community was termed a ‘Water Open Day’ and was part of Coal of Africa Ltd’s public participation programme regarding the proposed Makhado Coal Mine. The mining company is currently awaiting approval of a Water Licence application for the mine: a mine that will demand a huge amount of water from an already drought prone region. This short video shows precisely why the community are so opposed to it, and why they need your support…

See http://www.gaiafoundation.org/news/no-to-coal-video-from-water-open-day.

U.N. to rule on carbon offsets from coal plants

Richard — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:01:36 +0000

The main U.N.-appointed panel that regulates supply of global carbon offsets could this week decide whether to approve rules that would lead to the award of millions of CO2 credits to coal-fired power stations in developing countries, according to meeting agenda notes on the UNFCCC website.

See http://reut.rs/KYnEEK.

European Slump Leads Utilities To Burn More Coal

Richard — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:00:44 +0000

Europe’s economic slump is allowing utilities in some countries to burn increasing amounts of cheap, highly polluting coal for electricity generation and still meet legally binding targets to cut carbon dioxide emissions, Reuters research shows.

See http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/08/us-energy-power-co-idUSBRE8470JZ20120508.

Xstrata parody leaves mining giant fuming yet again

Richard — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:59:49 +0000

EFFORTS by coal giant Xstrata to purge a parody mining commercial from video site YouTube have backfired, reigniting interest in the months-old clip. The commercial, created as part of a union campaign by former Chaser member Charles Firth, was deleted from the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union’s YouTube account in early December after a complaint from Xstrata.

However, a different YouTube user has uploaded the video to YouTube again.

See http://www.smh.com.au/business/xstrata-parody-leaves-mining-giant-fuming-yet-again-20120423-1xhac.html#ixzz1uZXb2UY2.

Watch the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=FA7EucYwcwI.

Coal in Scotland

Richard — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:58:36 +0000

Another Scottish Coal Lorry Overturns in Clydesdale

This one came off the road at Junction 11 of the M74 spilling its load. Thankfully no one was hurt. This accident follows a constant stream of spillages, crashes and incidents in the area involving Scottish Coal HGVs. For more information see our traffic survey and details of the issues locally here.

See http://coalactionscotland.org.uk/?p=2926.

Blame it on the Weatherman – Coal in Scotland

News emerged this week about 2 of Scotland’s major coal producing companies highlighting the financial insecurities of an industry struggling to remain viable through the current economic times. Shares in ATH Resources plummeted by 42% as it reduced the expected revenues from its Muir Dean open cast coal site by £4 million. Current forecasts put ATH’s pre tax losses for 2012 at over £6.5 million and its overall market worth has been cut by a quarter.

See http://coalactionscotland.org.uk/?p=2920.

Indonesia: No checks on coal mining, says government report

Richard — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:56:33 +0000

Indonesia is the world’s top coal exporter. However, limitations in the supervision of its extraction may be placing the country at risk of massive financial losses and environmental damage. That’s the conclusion of an investigation, recently carried out by the country’s Supreme Audit Agency. The audit claims that more than 1,000 mining companies across the country have failed to comply with environment-related requirements.

Among London-listed companies involved in coal projects in Indonesia are BHP Billiton and Churchill Mining.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/11684.

Hundreds of climate activists and anti-cuts protesters disrupt UK energy summit

Richard — Fri, 04 May 2012 19:16:43 +0000

Yesterday hundreds of protesters from climate and anti-cuts groups across the country teamed up to block the UK Energy Summit in the City of London. At least 300 protesters targeted all of the main entrances to the Summit venue, attempting to push past police to enter the conference.

The UK Energy Summit involves CEOs of the Big Six energy companies, who have recently come under widespread criticism for drawing in record profits whilst one quarter of UK households have been pushed into fuel poverty.

See http://climatejusticecollective.org/#/blog/4561604140.

Residents say no to burning coal under Swansea Bay

Richard — Fri, 04 May 2012 19:15:48 +0000

Residents from Swansea teamed up with activist group Frack Off to protest against Underground Coal Gasification outside an industry conference in central London.

See http://frack-off.org.uk/residents-say-no-to-burning-coal-under-swansea-bay/.

Xstrata pressed on record in Peru and Colombia

Richard — Fri, 04 May 2012 19:15:05 +0000

Representatives of communities affected by Xstrata’s operations in the Espinar region of Peru attended the massive London-listed mining company’s AGM in Switzerland on Tuesday 1 May. They called for compensation and a solution to the problem of water pollution around the company’s Tintaya and Antapaccay projects. Xstrata was condemned for lack of respect for the communities at Espinar.

Supporters of communities affected by the Cerrejon coal mine in Colombia (jointly owned with Anglo American and BHP Billiton) called for just resettlement agreements with affected communities, a halt to legal proceedings to take possession of the community of Roche, and abandonment of plans to reroute the areas only major river – echoing concerns raised at Anglo American’s London AGM on 19 April (see http://londonminingnetwork.org/2012/04/5590/).

A webcast of Xstrata’s AGM, including questions and answers, can be accessed at http://www.media-server.com/m/p/s88xdvn4.

See also Xstrata woos waverers to back $39bn Glencore deal, http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page67?oid=150559&sn=Detail&pid=92730.

Once more into the breach – Vedanta

Richard — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:59:46 +0000

UK company brazenly flouted construction rules

Two and a half years ago, Vedanta’s BALCO subsidiary was accused of illegally constructing a coal-fired power plant whose chimney collapsed, killing at least forty two workers in the Indian township of Korba, Chhattisgarh. Critics claim the UK-listed company then proceeded to build a replacement plant without obtaining necessary permits.

Last weekend, these allegations were confirmed by documents obtained under India’s Right to Information Act, leading the mayor of Korba to declare: “We have strongly objected and sought to dismantle the illegal construction in the past. Notices have been issued to Balco repeatedly and stiff fines imposed. Better speak to the police why no action has been taken after the complaints were lodged”.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11651.

Deadline looms for Bakrie group to resolve covenant breach

Richard — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:55:45 +0000

Indonesian group Bakrie has until Friday to resolve a covenant breach on a $437 million loan following a drop in the price of its London-listed coal miner Bumi Plc last week, sources familiar with the loan said on Monday. The breach was the latest in a series of debt problems for Bakrie Group, one of Indonesia’s largest conglomerates and which avoided a debt crisis last year by selling a stake in Bumi Plc to an Indonesian investor for $1 billion. Credit Suisse sent a notice on behalf of lenders to the borrower following the covenant breach, after Bumi Plc shares – pledged as collateral against the borrowing – slid 3.8 percent over the course of last week, according to the sources, who declined to be identified because the matter was not public.

See http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page504?oid=150040&sn=Detail&pid=92730.

CoAL rail plan faces farmers’ resistance

Richard — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:52:41 +0000

London-listed Coal of Africa Limited (CoAL) has again sailed into an environmentally-charged storm over its plans to build a R300 million railway line north of the Soutpansberg in the Limpopo River basin.

See http://www.iol.co.za/business/companies/coal-rail-plan-faces-farmers-resistance-1.1281325.