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 …
Read more
Once more into the breach – Vedanta
Deadline looms for Bakrie group to resolve covenant breach
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 …
Read more
CoAL rail plan faces farmers’ resistance
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.
Churchill seeks $2bn from Indonesia over coal dispute
London-listed Churchill Mining plc has been in bitter dispute with Indonesian authorities over control of one of the country’s largest coal deposits. Now, the company is threatening to resort to international arbitration.
See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11633.…
Read more
Air pollution prematurely killing 13,000 people a year in Britain, says MIT
Air pollution is prematurely killing 13,000 people a year in Britain compared with fewer than 2,000 deaths a year from road accidents, a major study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has concluded. Of these, …
Read more
Indonesian mine workers bludgeoned by state security forces
The world’s leading mineworkers federation, ICEM, has vigorously condemned recent attacks against employees of one of Indonesia’s biggest mines. A military brigade, serving the interests of London-listed Bumi Resources, has allegedly severely beaten twenty workers, …
Read more
Big Questions for Anglo American
Since Anglo American listed in London and moved its headquarters from South Africa to Britain, the company’s dealings with its critics have been characterised by a level of formal courtesy that sits awkwardly with its …
Read more
Union sets April 12 date for next stoppage at BHP Australia coal mines
The coal mines, operated by the BHP Billiton-Mitsubishi Alliance JV, will be hit by a two-day work stoppage on April 12, union officials said.
See http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page504?oid=148860&sn=Detail&pid=92730.…
Read more
Nasa scientist: climate change is a moral issue on a par with slavery
Averting the worst consequences of human-induced climate change is a “great moral issue” on a par with slavery, according to the leading Nasa climate scientist Prof Jim Hansen. He argues that storing up expensive and …
Read more
World Bank backs dirty energy despite objections
Continued controversy over a coal power project in Kosovo, partly funded by the World Bank (itself part-funded by the UK), and a catalogue of complaints over its projects highlight the impact of extractives and the …
Read more
BHP Billiton declares force majeure
The world’s biggest miner, BHP Billiton, is declaring force majeure at its coal mines in Australia’s Bowen Basin due to prolonged union strikes and heavy rain, the company said on Monday, in a move that …
Read more