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Opponents appeal decision to permit Michigan nickel-copper mine

Richard — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:58:44 +0000

Environmental and community groups opposed to a nickel and copper mine being constructed in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula aren’t giving up the fight. AP reports that four groups against the Eagle Mine, under construction by Kennecott Eagle Minerals Company, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto, are asking the state Court of Appeals to overturn a judge’s decision last month to uphold the mine permits. The groups say the mine poses a high risk of air and water pollution, and could prove unstable.

See http://www.mining.com/2011/12/13/opponents-appeal-decision-to-permit-michigan-copper-mine/.

Colombia’s mining boom overshadowed by human rights violations

Richard — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 17:43:43 +0000

A report by Peace Brigades International (PBI) declares that Colombia’s current mining boom is overshadowed by human rights violations and mass displacement of residents in mining areas. “80% of the human rights violations that have occurred in Colombia in the last ten years were committed in mining and energy-producing regions, and 87% of Colombia’s displaced population originate from these places,” says the report published by the international human rights organisation last week.

Among London-listed mining companies active in Colombia are Anglo American, AngloGold Ashanti, BHP Billiton, Glencore, Rio Tinto and Xstrata.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11381&l=1.

Anglo American to focus investments in Brazil, CEO says

Richard — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 15:25:45 +0000

London-based resource group Anglo American will focus its future investments in Brazil, CEO Cynthia Carroll told reporters during the inauguration of the Barro Alto nickel plant in Goiás state on December 6.

See http://www.bnamericas.com/news/mining/anglo-american-to-focus-investments-in-nation-ceo-says/277692669.…
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Rio Tinto may get stung in Sulawesi …and pinched in Queensland

Richard — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:27:34 +0000

A giant black wasp has been identified as a new species, recently discovered in the Mekongga Mountains of Southeast Sulawesi. (The report at the link below mistakenly describes the mountain range as being in Southwest Sulawesi).

One of the problems faced by this mammoth hymenoptera larrimae is the prospect that Rio Tinto will mine huge tonnages of nickel from its habitat.

The UK-Australian mega-miner will doubtless propose establishing a biosphere reserve in the area, to mitigate any damage its mining will cause. However, the warrior wasp is far from being the only endemic species threatened by mining in Sulawesi. Nor is this the only region where non-human creatures are potentially affected by Rio Tinto’s plans. The company may also soon be locking pincers with crabs close to its Weipa bauxite mine in the Australian state of Queensland. Or, at any rate, having to take on environmentalists who are siding with the crustaceans.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/11180.

Anglo American starts phase two production at Barro Alto nickel operation, Brazil

Richard — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:11:05 +0000

London-based resource group Anglo American has started phase two production at its Barro Alto nickel operation in Brazil’s Goiás state, the company reported in a release.

See http://www.bnamericas.com/news/mining/anglo-american-starts-phase-two-production-at-barro-alto-nickel-operation/264172386.

The LME commodity price grand final: nickel versus tin

Richard — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:04:32 +0000

Vying for the title of the London Metal Exchange’s highest priced mainstream metal are nickel and tin. At the time of writing, the cash quotes for these metals panned out as follows: nickel ~$US21,400 per tonne and tin $US23,900 per tonne.

See http://www.miningnewspremium.net/storyview.asp?storyid=2488987.

Royalty and rights issues in Latin America

Richard — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 14:33:08 +0000

BHP Billiton has settled a royalty dispute with the Colombian government – thus enabling the world’s second biggest mining company to continuing operating its Cerro Matoso nickel mine. (At the same time, fifty five workers have filed a lawsuit demanding compensation from Cerro Matoso for a number of occupational diseases and health damages suffered by them in many sectors of the plant.)

The Brazilian government is reforming royalty rates, and this will affect, among others, Anglo American.

Meanwhile, although newly-elected Peruvian president, Humala, has been criticised by some indigenous leaders for failing to grant their communities a veto over new mining projects, others are praising a recently-promulgated law, requiring extractive companies to “consult” about them with their communities. London-listed companies with operations in Peru include Anglo American, Monterrico Metals, Rio Tinto and Xstrata.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/11170.

Glencore bids for Australian nickel miner

Richard — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:56:04 +0000

Shares of Minara Resources jumped 36% on news of a takeover bid by London-listed Swiss-based commodities trader Glencore Resources. Glencore, which went public in May with an astonishing $11 billion IPO, already owns 73.4% of Minara, and is seeking to buy the rest of it for AU$1.02 billion.

See http://www.mining.com/2011/08/24/glencore-bids-for-australian-nickel-miner/.

HudBay gets out of Guatemala – but won’t escape

Richard — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:22:17 +0000

Canada’s HudBay Minerals is about to sell all its interests in Guatemala’s Fenix project. Almost certainly one of the prompts for its withdrawal is the murder of a man, and the alleged gang-rapes of eleven women at the project in 2007. However, according to the victims’ lawyer:”HudBay and HMI Nickel cannot avoid liability for their past actions by selling the project” and their court action against the company is to continue.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11122&l=1.

One of the major shareholders in HudBay is London-based Vedanta.

Tanzania in talks with miners to raise gold export taxes

Richard — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:18:21 +0000

Tanzania’s government is in talks with mining companies to raise royalty payments on gold exports as well as negotiating other possible tax hikes. African Barrick Gold has four gold mines in Tanzania while Australia’s third largest gold miner, Resolute Mining and South Africa’s Anglogold Ashanti (with a listing also in London) also have gold mining operations there. British mining company African Eagle Ltd is raising funds for its nickel project in Tanzania.

See http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page72068?oid=133487&sn=Detail.

Ceremonial walk protests Rio Tinto mine in Michigan

Richard — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:57:33 +0000

Barbed wire fences and the sweltering heat failed to hold them back Sunday afternoon. Mine opponents and the environmentally conscious covered the Yellow Dog Plains in a peaceful demonstration, a message for Rio Tinto subsidairy Kennecott Eagle Minerals to back off.

See http://www.uppermichiganssource.com/news/story.aspx?list=~%5Chome%5Clists%5Csearch&id=641445

See also WAVE Players Lampoon Corrupt Michigan Officials, Politicians, Crooked Sulfide Mining Company at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0cNtSGqdPY&feature=share.

Michigan State Government challenged over Rio Tinto owned mine

Richard — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:36:17 +0000

Kennecott is a US subsidiary of London-based Rio Tinto.

Press Release from Jack Parker and Associates Inc, Toivola, Michigan 49965, USA
June 30, 2011

Contacts:

Jack Parker (Jack Parker and Associates; jprockdoctor@gmail.com)
Laura Gauger (00 1 218-724-3004; kettu2010@callta.com)
Attorney General Is Asked to Honor His Pledge

LANSING, Michigan – Michigan’s new Attorney General, Bill Schuette, formerly senior counsel at Warner, Norcross and Judd (the Michigan law firm providing legal counsel to Kennecott Minerals), has announced on his web page his top priorities. Probably the most exciting is his Public Integrity Unit, which is already in business.

The pledge of the Unit is “To uncover and prosecute crimes at all levels of state and local government.”

“Yikes! A dream come true,” said Laura Gauger, a conservationist who recently met with EPA officials to discuss the Eagle Project, a new mine proposed by Kennecott Minerals for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

On June 15th a small group of individuals mailed to Schuette’s office a letter and a document within which was assembled clear evidence that mining experts hired to evaluate the 2006 application for permits to mine at the Kennecott Eagle project agreed that the document was incomplete and inadequate, and constituted endangerment of life, property and environment.

“It should, therefore, have been rejected by the regulating agency, MDEQ. There is no doubt,” said Jack Parker, the mining engineer who authored the report sent to Schuette.

Dr. David Sainsbury, hired by the DEQ to evaluate the application, characterized the analysis of mine stability in the application as “technically antiquated, sloppy and equivalent to high school level work” and “not considered to be defensible.” But, as Parker pointed out, “MDEQ ignored the conclusions and recommendations of their own expert and those of other experts, and accepted the application. They went on to issue all permits demanded by Kennecott, regardless of protests by public and by experts. Kennecott has been conducting construction activities ever since, illegally but with the consent of MDEQ.”

He added, “Federal Agencies claim that they have no jurisdiction over permitting activities because they are covered by state law, mainly Part 632. So they stand by, mute.”

Said Gauger, “MDEQ, the regulating agency, has failed to administer Michigan law and has aided and abetted Kennecott in their activities – therefore the matter goes up to the Attorney General.”

The letter and document ask the AG to investigate and to uncover the criminal activities and prosecute them, beginning with revocation of all permits and agreements. Schuette wrote the pledge that appears on his web page. Citizens are simply asking him to honor it.

To date (June 30th) there has been no response – zero. “Even common courtesy seems to have fallen by the wayside,” said Gauger. “Will some responsible person downstate please nudge the AG’s elbow and show him his pledge? A gentle reminder …”

Said Parker, “We await the Attorney General’s response. Delay means that Kennecott gets the green light to continue showing contempt for the law.”

Opposition to Rio Tinto subsidiary Kennecott in Michigan

Richard — Thu, 12 May 2011 09:29:09 +0000

Internationally Recognized Principles Needed for the Protection of Eagle Rock: Six Articles of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples - paper prepared by Jessica Koski: http://newwarriorsforearth.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/indigenousrightseaglerock2.pdf

Residents concerned about water quality question Rio Tinto-Kennecott at community forum
http://keweenawnow.blogspot.com/2011/05/residents-concerned-about-water-quality.html?spref=fb

HudBay loses out to Mayan community in Guatemala

Richard — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 10:35:54 +0000

Guatemala’s highest court has made a precedent-setting decision in favor of a small Maya Q’eqchi’ indigenous community of Agua Caliente in Izabal province, by recognising their right to land that is occupied by Canada’s HudBay mining company. Since 2004, when nickel mining was revived in eastern Guatemala, there has been a series of brutal forced evictions and other human rights violations (including killings and gang rapes). HudBay Minerals also faces charges, in Canadian courts, related to the 2009 killing of Adolfo Ich (a Mayan Qeqchi community leader), and the 2007 gang rape of 11 Mayan Qeqchi women from the Lote 8 community (as part of an illegal, brutal forced eviction). One of the major shareholders in HudBay is London-based Vedanta.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=10862

Rio Tinto – the movie

Richard — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 09:53:24 +0000

Activists came to London from Indonesia, California, Michigan and Utah for the Rio Tinto AGM on 14 April. Watch this fifteen minute video to find out about their complaints against the company, why they wanted to attend its AGM and what they achieved by doing so:

You can learn more about the criticims of Rio Tinto by viewing these clips of the talks given at the public meeting the evening before the AGM at Amnesty UK’s Human Rights Action Centre in London:

Chalid Muhammad speaks about Rio Tinto in Indonesia.

Joan Sekler speaks about Rio Tinto’s treatment of workers at its Borax operations in California, USA

Cherise Udell speaks about Rio Tinto’s pollution of the air at Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

Meg Townsend speaks about Rio Tinto’s threats to water quality and Indigenous rights in Michigan, USA

Martin Stanley talks about Rio Tinto’s QMM project in Madagascar

Tricia Feeney speaks about Rio Tinto’s Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia

Roger Moody speaks about Rio Tinto’s relationship with the Ivanhoe company in Mongolia