Dear friends,
Last month we helped colleagues from Spain make their presence felt at the AGM of Atalaya Mining, a company trading on London’s ill-regulated Alternative Investment Market (AIM) and the target of massive opposition in communities affected by its planned copper operations in Andalucia and Galicia. Our friends from Plataforma Touro O Pino Non made clear that the company lacks a social licence to operate in Galicia. Our friends from Ecologistas en Accion pointed out the dangers posed by the tailings (fine wastes) dam at the existing Riotinto copper mine. Atalaya was not pleased to see its opponents and tried to keep them out of the AGM. They even called the police – a first in our experience. The police, however, explained that the company’s shareholders have the right to enter its AGM.
In the last mailout, we reported on the massacre at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, India, and the massive protests that were held as a result. Campaigners including Foil Vedanta repeated their call for the de-listing of Vedanta from the London Stock Exchange, a call echoed by Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer John McDonnell MP. Now Vedanta’s Chairman, Anil Agarwal, has announced that he wishes to de-list the company as part of its simplification plan and because the Indian Stock Exchange is now more mature. Agarwal said it is nothing to do with the massive protest in London organised by Tamil organisations, Foil Vedanta and others – but others are clear that the protests have played a key role in the decision.
LMN member group Coal Action Network continues to work with people at Pont Valley in County Durham in northeastern England who are protesting against the Bradley opencast coal mine. Questions have been raised about the legality of mine construction work there. A letter has been sent to ministers asking them to reform the planning system so that in future all coal mines are automatically refused. Meanwhile, our friends at ShareAction have published a report investigating the financing of the coal power sector.
It’s important to remember that it is not only coal-fired power that creates problems: mining for renewable energy can also displace communities and create problems with pollution. Metals mined for renewable energy are also mined for other purposes, but the increasing demand for ‘clean’ energy cannot but increase demand. Lithium mining is projected to increase significantly because of demand for batteries; the impact of cobalt mining for a variety of applications is causing concern even in the London Metal Exchange.
London Mining Network has never been in the business of drawing up a list of purportedly ‘acceptable’ standards for mining, as our priority is solidarity with communities and workers who are suffering because of the activities of London-linked mining companies: we aim primarily to amplify their voices and ensure that they are heard in this metropolitan epicentre of destructive global mining finance. But others have been working on drawing up standards to improve the behaviour of mining companies – among them the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance, which has produced a ‘responsible mining map’, and the Responsible Mining Index. Recently the UK Government has called for better standards of reporting in the extractive industries; unions and others have called for higher standards from the Responsible Jewellery Council; and UK mining giant Standard Chartered has taken a stand against dumping mine waste at sea.
We in LMN are perhaps more assiduous in pointing out what is going wrong – and you’ll find a great deal below about what is going wrong, and what people (including communities, mine workers, activists and lawyers) are doing about it. London-linked companies Acacia, Anglo American, BHP, Condor, Gabriel, Glencore, Lonmin, Lydian and Rio Tinto all feature, as well as those named above.
The reason for telling you about all the negative stuff is not to depress you, however: we hope to encourage you in the solidarity actions you’re already taking and invite you to consider other actions too – and you’ll find several of those below. Do take part when and where you can!
All the best,
Richard Solly, Co-ordinator, London Mining Network.
In this mailout
Take action!
Together against Trump: Climate Bloc
Events commemorating the Marikana Massacre
Coal Nee More Action Camp /// 5th – 9th September 2018 /// Pontop Hall Dipton, Stanley, DH9 9ED
Volunteer work at LMN member group CATAPA
News
1) LMN and the Atalaya AGM
2) Coal mining and investment in the UK
3) De-listing Vedanta
4) Resistance to Lydian in Armenia
5) Acacia Gold still in trouble in Tanzania
6) Glencore in the news
7) BHP signs deal to suspend lawsuit in Brazil
8) News about Rio Tinto
9) Condor Gold a step closer to begin building Nicaragua mine
10) Sibanye-Stillwater hit with lawsuit over mounting fatalities, losses
11) Romania asks UNESCO to delay decision on gold mining region
12) Publish What You Pay UK Welcomes Renewed UK Government Commitment to Extractives Transparency
13) LME to get tougher on cobalt companies with ties to the DRC
14) UK Banking Giant Standard Chartered Takes Stand Against Mine Waste Dumping
15) South Africa: Report says lack of information makes it difficult to assess if mining companies are repairing their environmental damage
16) Mining-affected communities reject draft Mining Charter
17) Environmental groups call for a U-turn on deep sea mining
18) CHARTS: Halfway through 2018 and the mining rally is over
19) Lithium demand from battery makers to almost double by 2027
20) ‘Responsible mining’ initiatives
Take action!
Together against Trump: Climate Bloc
National march, Friday 13 July
March assembles in Portland Place, central London from 2pm
Rally in Trafalgar Square at 5pm
Events commemorating the Marikana Massacre
7.00pm Friday 13 July – Teach-in on Britain and South Africa: Neocolonialism
7.00pm Thursday 9th August – South African Women’s Day
‘Strike a Rock’ film screening and discussion, trailer at http://strikearock.co.za/
Both events at 336 Brixton Rd, London SW9 7AA.
Hosted by Pan-Afrikan Society Community Forum, Decolonising Environmentalism and Marikana Solidarity Collective
Monday 13 August, Protest at London finance houses that profit from violence
Marikana Solidarity Collective (More info, contact mambushlives@gmail.com)
Thursday 16 August, Commemorating the 6th anniversary of the Marikana Massacre
4pm to 6pm, outside South Africa House, Trafalgar Square, London
Bring yellow flowers
Coal Nee More Action Camp, 5 – 9 September 2018
Pontop Hall Dipton, Stanley, DH9 9ED
This camp will unite front line communities in the North East of England with people from far and wide to take mass direct action (Saturday 8th) to shut down Banks Groups’ opencast coal mine in Pont Valley, County Durham. There will be skill-shares, workshops, food, camping, walks and campfires.
In the face of climate change, by the side of the affected local community here in Pont Valley, we need to make a defiant stand of resistance against opencast in the North East, especially ahead of Banks Groups’ appeal of the rejection to opencast Druridge Bay in the High Court, October 17th.
Email – coalneemore@risup.net with any accessibility needs/ if you want to get involved organizing /any further information
Follow us – https://protectpontvalley.
Volunteer work at LMN member group CATAPA
EVS volunteer Make ICT Fair: campaign and education
EVS volunteer Make ICT Fair: communication
News
1) LMN and the Atalaya AGM
‘Ties are stronger now’: Spanish campaigners unite around Atalaya AGM
On Wednesday 27 June, Spanish campaigners attended the AGM of London-listed mining company Atalaya Mining to raise concerns about the company’s operations across Spain.
Campaigners tell Atalaya ‘no social license for mine’
“Our opposition to the Touro Mine is about defending a way of life, defending long-term a different kind of industry for the region”, says Luis Gallardo.
PRESS RELEASE: Spanish campaigners call Atalaya Mining to account
PRESS RELEASE: Atalaya tailings dams at imminent threat of collapse
2) Coal mining and investment in the UK
End coal mining in the UK, environmentalists urge government
Environmentalists have written to ministers, asking them to reform the planning system so that all future coal mines are automatically refused
Investigation: Has Banks Group Illegitimately Commenced Work at the UK’s Newest Coal Mine?
The legitimacy of the ‘Bradley’ opencast coal mine in Durham’s Pont Valley has been called into question after the operator, Banks Group, appeared to commence work before key planning conditions had been completed.
Banking Beyond Coal: Sustainable Development Without Coal Finance
This briefing investigates the financing of the coal power sector, particularly in the developing world. It provides recommendations for shareholders engaging with banks to strengthen their coal policies.
3) De-listing Vedanta
Vedanta may ‘delist’ itself from London Stock Exchange following campaign
A vociferous campaign has been building in the UK, India and other countries to de-list Vedanta from the London Stock Exchange, in response to the tragic loss of life at Turicorin. It now appears that – tired of the publicity and oversight that comes with the listing – Anil Agarwal may do just that & attempt to buy out other shareholders to take it private.
Going private: Anil Agarwal to delist Vedanta from LSE
Amid rising protests in the UK following the death of 13 people in May during violent demonstrations against its copper smelter in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, Anil Agarwal has decided to delist his flagship firm Vedanta Resources from the London Stock Exchange after buying out 33.5% of non-promoter shareholders for about $1 billion.
4) Resistance to Lydian in Armenia
Roads to Amulsar Blocked as Locals Protest Gold Mine
It has been over 15 days that the roads leading to Amulsar are closed by residents of the Jermuk community and environmentalists from the surrounding region. Demonstrators have gathered as a display of opposition against a mine being developed near their communities that threatens their waters and their health, the region’s touristic potential, and the famous Jermuk brand of water.
Amulsar: Gold Over Water?
Mount Amulsar, almost 3,000 meters above sea level, is located near the resort town of Jermuk and the major rivers Arpa and Vorotan. For the past several years, the mountain has been under the spotlight of environmental activists. An estimated 70 tons of gold are expected to be extracted from Amulsar over a 10-year period. It has relatively low grade of gold at 0.78 grams per ton of ore. In comparison, the gold mine at Sotk, some 20 kilometers off the southeastern coast of Lake Sevan, contains 120 tons of gold at 5-7 grams of gold per ton of ore. An offshore company called Lydian Armenia was given final permit by the Ministry of Nature Protection to start construction at Amulsar in 2014.
5) Acacia Gold still in trouble in Tanzania
Women Speak Out About Abuse at Barrick’s Mine in Tanzania
In a video released by MiningWatch Canada, women living in villages around Barrick Gold subsidiary Acacia’s North Mara mine in Tanzania speak out publicly for the first time about the sexual violence they suffered at the hands of private and public (police) mine security at the North Mara mine. They also discuss the inadequacies of the remedy they have received from the mine’s grievance mechanism, and the ongoing hardship they continue to suffer as a result of their rapes.
Barrick’s Acacia Mining keeps suffering from Tanzania row
Acacia Mining, Tanzania’s No.1 gold producer, said production fell sharply again in the second quarter of the year as a long-dragged row with the East African nation’s government over taxes continues to hit the miner’s bottom line.
No resolution yet for Acacia Mining tax row with Tanzania’s Gov’t
Acacia Mining, Tanzania’s No.1 gold producer, said that parent company Barrick Gold has yet to reach an agreement with the East African nation’s government to end a running dispute over taxes that has severely hit the miner’s bottom line.
6) Glencore in the news
Metal markets are preparing for a new world disorder
Few epitomize how quickly the sands are shifting more than Glencore Plc. One of the most adept companies at navigating tough environments, the giant trader and producer is now dealing with tariffs in various forms, as well as a long list of supply shocks, including sanctions and resource nationalism. In April, CEO Ivan Glasenberg had to quit the board of one of Glencore’s biggest aluminum suppliers, United Co. Rusal, after it was hit with U.S. sanctions. Glencore also has taken steps to get around U.S. sanctions in the Democratic Republic of Congo while fighting a new mining code there. This week, U.S. authorities demanded documents relating to possible corruption and money laundering.
Union tells Glencore to stop stooping low on the right to strike in South Africa
Anglo-Swiss multinational commodity trading and mining company Glencore has built global notoriety for trashing workers’ rights; one of its tactics is to hire lawyers instead of engaging with workers.
US probe darkens Glencore horizons from Africa to Americas
The U.S. corruption and money-laundering probe into Glencore Plc represents the sum of all fears for the world’s largest commodity trader and its billionaire chief executive officer, Ivan Glasenberg.
Glencore announces $1 bn share buyback days after probe
Glencore Plc will buy back as much as $1 billion of its shares, a move that may soothe investor concerns after the world’s top commodity trader was hit by a U.S. Department of Justice probe earlier this week.
Glencore hammered as US requests documents in corruption probe
Shares in miner and commodities trader Glencore fell the most in two years after it revealed that US authorities had ordered it to hand over documents and other records relating to possible corruption and money laundering.
Congo court suspends hearing on Glencore-owned cobalt mine
A court in the Democratic Republic of Congo suspended a hearing about a lawsuit brought by a former shareholder of a Glencore Plc-owned cobalt and copper mine.
IndustriALL raises Glencore human rights violations with UN Human Rights Council
IndustriALL Global Union, together with The Europe-Third World Centre (CETIM), submitted an official statement to the UN Human Rights Council (UN HRC) on violations of workers’ human rights by Glencore.
7) BHP signs deal to suspend lawsuit in Brazil
BHP signs deal to suspend $55 billion Samarco lawsuit for two years
Samarco and its owners BHP and Vale have signed a deal for the Brazilian government to drop a $7 billion civil lawsuit against the mining companies over a 2015 disaster at the Samarco iron ore mine.
BHP Billiton and Vale lawsuit
In May 2018, shareholders announced they would file a lawsuit against BHP Billiton, alleging that the company misled them as it was aware of the safety risks prior to the disaster, but failed to take any action to prevent it.
8) News about Rio Tinto
Rio Tinto’s minerals sands operation in South Africa shut by protests
A mineral sands operation on the South African coast run by Rio Tinto has been closed since Friday due to violent community protests which saw a security guard killed earlier this week, the company and a union said on Wednesday.
Rio Tinto says synergies, no Brexit behind decision to move sales team to Germany
World’s second largest miner Rio Tinto said its recent decision to consolidate the sales and marketing teams in London and other European countries into one located in Frankfurt, Germany, had less to do with Brexit than with “synergies.”
Former Rio Tinto exec jailed for corruption in China let free
Former Rio Tinto’s head of iron ore business in China, Stern Hu, has been released Wednesday after spending nearly nine years in prison in Shanghai, following a 2010 conviction for corruption and industrial espionage.
9) Condor Gold a step closer to begin building Nicaragua mine
Shares in Condor Gold jumped after the Nicaragua-focused miner submitted further technical studies to the country’s Ministry of Environmental and Natural Resources (MARENA) for permitting approval at its La India project. (There was resistance to this project which forced the company to agree not to relocate local residents.)
10) Sibanye-Stillwater hit with lawsuit over mounting fatalities, losses
A US law firm has filed a class action lawsuit against South Africa’s Sibanye-Stillwater on behalf of shareholders over losses suffered after a series of deaths at its mines, which has caused a sharp drop of the stock price. Bernstein Liebhard LLP said in a statement the suit would deal with “misleading statements” made by the precious metals producer, which has had 21 fatalities on its operations so far in 2018, almost half of the total in South Africa’s mining industry so far this year. The company, which was unconditionally cleared by the UK Competition and Markets Authority to takeover its London-listed rival Lonmin, said it would address all safety issues and concerns in a conference call with investors and media on Monday, July 2.
11) Romania asks UNESCO to delay decision on gold mining region
Romania asked UNESCO to delay a decision on whether to accord world heritage list status to the Rosia Montana gold-mining region, the latest twist in a long-running saga. Known since antiquity for its large gold deposits, northwestern Rosia Montana is one of 30 candidates being considered by UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee meeting in Bahrain. The precise reasons for Bucharest’s request were not clear. (There have been massive protests against London-linked Canadian mining company Gabriel Resources’ proposed gold mine at Rosia Montana.)
12) Publish What You Pay UK Welcomes Renewed UK Government Commitment to Extractives Transparency
Publish What You Pay (PWYP) UK has welcomed the conclusions of the UK Government’s Post-Implementation Review (PIR) of initial reporting by oil, gas and mining companies under the UK’s Reports on Payments to Governments Regulations 2014.
13) LME to get tougher on cobalt companies with ties to the DRC
The London Metal Exchange (LME), the world’s biggest market for industrial metals, is stepping up efforts to make sure cobalt traded on the exchange is not mined using child labour, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
14) UK Banking Giant Standard Chartered Takes Stand Against Mine Waste Dumping
Ditch Ocean Dumping Campaign applauds broad prohibition to protect oceans, rivers and other water bodies.
15) South Africa: Report says lack of information makes it difficult to assess if mining companies are repairing their environmental damage
A report by the Centre for Environmental Rights says lack of adequate information has made it impossible to determine whether South African mining companies are fulfilling their legal obligations to repair and rehabilitate environmental damage that they cause. The report calls for transparency, consistency, clarity, and comparability in mining company disclosures. Includes Anglo Platinum and Lonmin.
16) Mining-affected communities reject draft Mining Charter
Following two days of deliberation, which included a presentation by the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR), mining-affected communities in South Africa rejected the current draft of the Mining Charter, as gazetted by Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe last month.
17) Environmental groups call for a U-turn on deep sea mining
As the International Seabed Authority (ISA) gathers in Jamaica, environmental organisations are calling on governments to wake up to the irreversible harm that deep sea mining will inflict, not only to marine ecosystems but also to global efforts to transition to a sustainable economy.
18) CHARTS: Halfway through 2018 and the mining rally is over
Mining and metals investors started the third quarter the same way they ended the second, offloading the sector over fears of the impact of a global trade war.
19) Lithium demand from battery makers to almost double by 2027
The outlook for lithium continues to shine, with demand from companies that produce batteries to power electric cars, laptops and other high-tech devices, expected to increase 650% by 2027, with overall lithium demand forecast to rise more than threefold over that period, a new study shows.
20) ‘Responsible mining’ initiatives
Can Mining Certification Benefit Communities, Workers and the Environment?
Last week, the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) released its new Standard for Responsible Mining — an effort by civil society and industry to collectively define best practices for mining operations. If well-implemented, the IRMA standard can provide us with tools for greater transparency and real improvements in mining practices.
IRMA Responsible Mining Map
The Responsible Mining Map has been designed as a tool to share information on responsible mining, and to enable those interested to connect with each other. It’s strength and success, however, depend on the participation of those who care about responsible mining.
Formal launch of the ‘Responsible Mining Index’
In April we reported the creation of the ‘Responsible Mining index’, an initiative sponsored by the Netherlands government. Its formal public launch has now taken place, on 4 July at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hague. The speaker from ‘the producing countries’ was a Peruvian, Ricardo Labo Fossa, former Deputy Minister of Mining in Peru.
Jewellery Group Should Raise Bar for Supply Chains
The Responsible Jewellery Council, an international industry group, should strengthen its standard for responsible sourcing of gold, diamonds, and other minerals, 20 independent groups and trade unions said today in a letter to the group’s standards committee.