Dear friends,

Monday 25 January was the second anniversary of the catastrophic tailings dam collapse at Vale’s iron ore mine at Brumadinho in Brazil. Vale is a Brazilian mining company with significant UK investment. We worked with our friends in Brazil to mark this event, and gathered together material on our website in solidarity with those struggling for justice in the face of this corporate crime for which nobody has yet been convicted. Vale has not yet even reached agreement with the Brazilian state over a settlement for damages. The Samarco iron ore company, owned by Vale and London-listed BHP, is being sued by ‘noteholders’ who want the company to restructure its debt in the wake of the catastrophic tailings dam collapse that took place in 2015. And the Responsible Mining Foundation has expressed concern about the thousands of similarly dangerous tailings dams around the world.

Many other articles in this mailout have to do with crime, corruption, or at least legal proceedings and complaints proceedings against companies. It might almost give readers the impression that mining multinationals are not to be trusted!

A new legal case has been taken against the US Forest Service to stop a land transfer that would hand over indigenous sacred sites and other public land to Rio Tinto and BHP to develop their Resolution Copper project at Oak Flat in Arizona. It beggars imagination that the companies are pressing on with their plans while Rio Tinto, the majority partner, is still in the firing line for destroying the Juukan Gorge Aboriginal sacred site in Australia last year. The Trump Administration hurried through the next stage of the permitting process for the project before its grudging departure from office last month. London Mining Network and allied organisations have written to Rio Tinto urging them to abandon the project.

Rio Tinto continues to be under legal pressure over its toxic legacy in Bougainville and its future plans in Mongolia. It is clearly not welcome in Serbia, and it has just announced its plans for Finland, where community opposition is likely to begin.

A complaint has been brought to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) against three London-listed multinationals, Anglo American, BHP and Glencore, over the impacts of the Cerrejon Coal mine in Colombia. BHP has lost a court battle with indigenous communities in Chile over water use but insists on continuing its mining operations anyway. Glencore faces another OECD complaint over oil operations in Chad. It is under investigation in the US for possible corruption and money-laundering and it faces allegations of corruption in South Africa. Anglo American is being sued over a legacy of lead poisoning at Kabwe in Zambia. Vedanta has settled out of court over pollution round its operations in Zambia, but has lost a case against the Zambian government over forced sale of its assets in Zambia and faces a dispute with investors in the USA. Top-level management at Drummond have been charged with financing paramilitaries around its coal mines in Colombia. Drummond is a private US company which has enjoyed financial backing from British bank HSBC.

In Britain, the UK Government has just given permission for a new coal mine to be constructed in Cumbria in the north west of England. This flies in the face of its stated policies over climate change. LMN member group Coal Action Network has been working hard to challenge this decision. LMN member group Global Justice Now has started an urgent action to get the government to stop the mine going ahead – please take part if you can.

LMN believes we must end coal use as soon as possible in order to avoid climate catastrophe. We also believe that mine workers and their dependants must not be thrown on the economic scrap heap as coal miners were in the UK in the 1980s; and we believe that the world must avoid a new ‘green extractivism‘ in which human communities and ecosystems are wrecked in the rush to mine more copper, nickel, cobalt, lithium, rare earths and other minerals needed for a low-carbon transition. We have recently agreed a statement on Just Transition and Transition Minerals. We need not just a low carbon economy but a low consumption economy, because the Earth’s resources are not infinite, and not infinitely renewable.

And there is plenty more food for thought below.

All the best,

Richard Solly, London Mining Network Co-ordinator.

In this mailout

Take action!

Stop the Cumbria coal mine!

Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR) Consultation

EU: protect people not profits

Reclaim Our Common Home

Online events

Thursday 4 February from 10am GMT/12 noon SAT, People in Lockdown, Extractives in Business

Wednesday 24 February, 7pm, CND screening of THE ATOM: A LOVE AFFAIR

News

1) Anniversary of the Brumadinho tailings dam collapse

2) Coal mining in England

3) BHP and Vale’s Samarco hit with nearly $ 1 billion suit

4) Rio Tinto and BHP’s Resolution Copper project at Oak Flat, Arizona

5) Other news about Rio Tinto

6) OECD complaint against Anglo American, BHP and Glencore at Cerrejon, Colombia

7) Other news about BHP

8) Troubles for Antofagasta at Los Pelambres, Chile

9) Glencore in the news

10) No apology or comfort as another Marikana mother dies without justice

11) Anglo American in the Amazon

12) Anglo American’s legacy in Zambia

13) Vedanta in court

14) Top-level Drummond managers charged with financing paramilitaries

15) Pulling out of coal

16) Just transition

Reports and recordings

Extracting Legitimacy: an analysis of corporate responses to accusations of human rights abuses

African ecofeminist alternatives to development for a just and resilient post-extractivist future

The AGM of the future: 5 ways to change the AGM for the better

Environmental assassinations bad for business, new research shows

Take action!

Stop the Cumbria coal mine!

Despite claiming to be a climate leader ahead of the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow this November, our government is planning to allow a new coal mine to be built in Whitehaven, Cumbria. Tell Robert Jenrick that he must stop this today!

Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR) Consultation

Help Biofuelwatch stop funding for false solutions by responding to the government’s GGR consultation.

EU: protect people not profits

The EU is considering a groundbreaking law that could hold companies accountable for their human rights and environmental abuses! Let’s get it passed — join the campaign and sign the official consultation in a few clicks.

Reclaim Our Common Home

CAFOD’s new campaign is a response to Pope Francis’s call for a new way of thinking about the world, and to take an active part in renewing our troubled societies by embracing the universal values of solidarity and fraternity. Sign their petition to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Online events

Thursday 4 February from 10am GMT/12 noon SAT, People in Lockdown, Extractives in Business

Please join WoMin African Alliance, GRAIN, Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC), Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt (CADTM) and Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOME-F) in this important conversation addressing how extractives corporations have used this moment of new crisis under COVID to start up new projects, expand existing projects, flout impact assessments and environmental standards, quash public consultations, and buy ‘moral authority’ with the donation of PPE, food and money, all of this with the collusion of African governments and ruling parties. Let’s collectively read this historical moment, consider how it shapes the future under conditions of great indebtedness on our continent, and cooperate in building responses! Follow this link to register. The conversation will be had in English, French and Portuguese.

Wednesday 24 February, 7pm, CND screening of THE ATOM: A LOVE AFFAIR

Behind-the-scenes political drama meets sentimental screen romance in this sweeping international feature documentary, delving deep into the past of the world’s most controversial energy source. With gems from the archives, a lush romantic score and a warm and playful tone, the film charts the West’s rollercoaster love-hate relationship with nuclear power over the past 75 years. It’s a dramatic tale of belief, betrayal, intrigue and hope, and it’s told by the scientists, engineers, politicians and campaigners who experienced it first hand.

News

1) Anniversary of the Brumadinho tailings dam collapse

Second Anniversary of Brumadinho Dam Collapse

25 January 2021 marks the second anniversary of the collapse of the tailings dam at Vale’s Córrego do Feijão mine in Brumadinho, Brazil. In remembrance of the 272 lives lost, and in solidarity with those still struggling for justice, London Mining Network has gathered together this list of resources.

Vale’s Crime in Brumadinho” – Solidarity & Remembrance, Two Years On

“May Brumadinho be treated not only as a local case, but as a global testimony, so that no one, anywhere in the world, may experience the terror that we are experiencing after the tragedy of the crime committed by Vale.” RENSER, Pact of Those Affected by Vale’s Crime in Brumadinho

Vale’s crime in Brumadinho

Brazilian activists continue to campaign for justice two years on from the Brumadinho mining disaster in Brazil.

Two years after Brumadinho disaster, safety concerns persist at Vale

Two years after Brazil’s worst environmental and industrial disaster, subcontractors at mining company Vale are still raising concerns over health and safety and bullying by management.

The true cost of mining

Ensuring justice for people and communities affected by the Brumadinho dam disaster

Two years after Brumadinho, still no convictions

Federal Police in Minas Gerais, Brazil, expect to receive the forensic report by the end of March on the cause of the tailings liquefaction that led to the dam collapse at Vale’s Córrego do Feijão mining complex in Brazil, which killed 270 people two years ago.

Brumadinho dam collapse could have been predicted weeks in advance – study

The dam collapse at Vale’s Córrego do Feijão mining complex in Brazil, which killed 270 people two years ago, could have been foreseen with the right monitoring technology.

Vale and Brazil state do not reach agreement over Brumadinho

Vale has not reached an agreement on a settlement for damages regarding the deadly Brumadinho dam disaster and negotiations are currently on hold.

Responsible Mining Foundation concerned about thousands of abandoned, at-risk tailings facilities worldwide

Switzerland-based Responsible Mining Foundation (RMF) issued a statement on the second anniversary of the tailings dam burst in Brumadinho, Brazil, highlighting the fact that there are still approximately 223 billion tonnes of tailings stored in more than 30,000 tailings storage facilities around the world, including active, inactive and abandoned facilities.

2) Coal mining in England

Disappointment as Government allows underground coking coal mine application to go ahead

We’re disappointed to let you know that on the 6th January 2020, the Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick said that the government will not step in and review Cumbria County Council’s decision to approve the Woodhouse Colliery Application.

Government allows Cumbrian coal mine to go ahead

Decision undermines UK government claims of global leadership on climate crisis

The government’s reasons for not stopping the Cumbria coal mine are nonsense

While claiming to be a climate leader ahead of the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow this November, our government is planning to allow a new coal mine to be built in Whitehaven, Cumbria. This new mine would allow the extraction of 2.78 million tonnes of coal every year until 2050, the year by which the UK will supposedly have reached net-zero carbon emissions.

3) BHP and Vale’s Samarco hit with nearly $ 1 billion suit

BHP and Vale’s beleaguered Samarco joint venture in Brazil has been hit with an almost $1 billion lawsuit from noteholders who accuse the company of ignoring their requests to restructure their debt.

4) Rio Tinto and BHP’s Resolution Copper project at Oak Flat, Arizona

Simply walk away”: To Rio Tinto, regarding Oak Flat

London Mining Network along with seven other environmental and Human Rights organisations wrote to Jakob Stausholm, CEO of Rio Tinto PLC on the issues of the company’s controversial plans for Oak Flat, Arizona. The US Forest Service is currently under pressure from the outgoing Trump administration to give Rio Tinto’s subsidiary, Resolution Copper (which wants to build a block cave copper mine), the sacred Oak Flat within the Chí’chil Biłdagoteel Historic District, before a new US President is sworn in on January 20.

UK shareholder raises concerns over Resolution mine in Arizona

A leading British local government pension group has urged mining giants Rio Tinto and BHP to clarify how they intend to protect the environment in and around an Arizona copper project that is opposed by many Native American tribes.

Rio Tinto and BHP battle Apache tribes to build North America’s biggest copper mine at sacred Oak Flat site

“This place is very holy and religious to us.” Wendsler Nosie Senior, an elder of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, is describing his people’s land, Oak Flat or Chi’chil Bildagoteel, in the Arizona desert in the US south-west.

Lawsuit Challenges Review of Mine Proposal That Would Destroy Oak Flat

Tribal and conservation groups sued the U.S. Forest Service to stop a land trade that would hand over thousands of acres in the Tonto National Forest in central Arizona to a London-based mining company. The Oak Flat area, considered sacred by Apache and other Native people, would be destroyed by multinational mining company Rio Tinto for a massive copper mine.

5) Other news about Rio Tinto

‘Rio is still on notice’: native title groups say mining company’s reshuffle is mainly PR

National Native Title Council says it is disappointing announcement made no mention of Aboriginal heritage after Juukan Gorge demolition

Utah: The U Needs to Break Up with Rio Tinto

In the weeks just prior to President Joe Biden’s inauguration, the Trump administration moved quickly to sell sacred Apache land to Anglo-Australian mining company Rio Tinto.

Abandoned Rio Tinto Mine Is Blamed for Poisoned Bougainville Rivers

Residents of the Papua New Guinea region have accused the mining giant of environmental and human rights violations and asked for an investigation.

Bougainville President rejects landowner group’s Caballus idea

The President of the Autonomous Bougainville Government has declared that his administration is not allying with any of those wanting to redevelop the Panguna mine, formerly owned by Rio Tinto, the impacts of which sparked and independence war.

Reclaiming Bougainville for All Bougainvilleans

“It is fact that BCL operations in Bougainville were the genesis of the War in Bougainville. The reprehensible misconduct of BCL has caused immense irreparable damage to the environment of Bougainville…”

Australia’s Ranger uranium mine ceases production

“This is a very good day for Kakadu, the Northern Territory and Australia,” Australian Conservation Foundation nuclear campaigner Dave Sweeney said. The Ranger mine has generated controversy, headlines and heartache for four decades. The focus must now be on ERA and parent company Rio Tinto doing comprehensive and credible site rehabilitation and supporting the transition to a post-mining regional economy.

Turquoise Hill seeks interim order against Rio over Mongolia mine funding

Canada’s Turquoise Hill Resources is seeking an interim order in its arbitration against Rio Tinto as some of the top miner’s actions could limit Turquoise Hill’s funding options for the vast Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold-silver mine in Mongolia.

Stakes high for Rio Tinto, Mongolia as Oyu Tolgoi talks loom

The next three to six months will be crucial to the future of the vast Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mine in Mongolia, as the companies behind the operation engage in talks to find a way to improve the government’s financial benefits from an ongoing underground expansion.

Bluejay, Rio Tinto’s JV in Finland is official

Explorer and developer Bluejay Mining announced that all conditions have now been satisfied for the start of the Enonkoski project joint-venture and earn-in agreement with Rio Tinto.

Rio Tinto’s Jadar project not welcomed in Serbia

Rio Tinto’s Jadar project, which plans to produce lithium near Loznica, will cover more than 2,000 hectares of land, and seven to eight million euros a year, as much as the state would collect from lithium exploitation, is “a miserable sum” for losing so much land.

6) OECD complaint against Anglo American, BHP and Glencore at Cerrejon, Colombia

BHP, Glencore, Anglo American face OECD investigation over environmental damage and human rights abuses at Colombian coal mine

Three of the world’s biggest miners including BHP could be forced to close down Latin America’s largest open pit mine, with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) set to investigate environmental destruction and alleged human rights abuses.

NGOs file complaint before OECD, demand closure of Cerrejón coal mine in Colombia

A coalition of human rights and environmental NGOs led by the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) are demanding before the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development the closure of the Cerrejón coal project in Colombia, which is owned by Anglo American and Glencore.

Details of the case

Background and rationale for the case can be found on the Global Legal Action Network website.

7) Other news about BHP

Chilean Court sides with indigenous communities in Cerro Colorado water case

Global miner BHP will be forced to suspend operations at its Cerro Colorado copper mine in water-parched northern Chile after the country’s Supreme Court upheld local indigenous communities’ complaint about the project’s water use.

BHP operating normally at Cerro Colorado after court loss

BHP said operations continue at its Cerro Colorado copper mine in Chile after the country’s Supreme Court upheld local indigenous communities’ complaint about the project’s water use.

BHP slashes value of Australian coal assets

BHP, the world’s largest miner, has slashed the value of its Mt Arthur thermal coal mine in Australia by about $1.25 billion as it seeks to sell the asset and focus on other commodities.

8) Troubles for Antofagasta at Los Pelambres, Chile

Copper union digs in for just reward at Antofagasta’s prize mine

The company owned by Chile’s richest family managed to escape strikes at two of its other mines last year with eleventh-hour wage deals that included signing bonuses of more than $20,000 for each worker. The stakes are higher at Los Pelambres, Antofagasta’s prize asset.

Antofagasta’s Los Pelambres expansion to cost an extra $400m

Chilean miner Antofagasta revealed that the expansion project at its Los Pelambres operation in the home country would cost $1.7 billion, up from the original estimate of $1.3 billion, due mainly to revised marine works and the value of a desalination plant extension.

9) Glencore in the news

UK Government Accepts Human Rights Complaint Against Glencore UK for Toxic Spill in Chad

The UK government has accepted a complaint filed by three human rights groups against Glencore UK for violations of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises at its Badila oilfield in southern Chad. It marks the first time the mining giant is facing an OECD complaint in the UK.

Glencore is looking lonely as rivals look to abandon coal

Glencore Plc is cutting an increasingly isolated figure as a major coal miner as one by one its biggest rivals look to abandon the most polluting fuel.

Trump eased sanctions on mining tycoon Dan Gertler before leaving office

Gertler, who has always denied any wrongdoing, has exited many of his biggest investments in the DRC over the past five years. One of the most notorious deals was the one inked with Glencore, through which he sold the London-listed Swiss miner his stake in two projects. Glencore, however, continues to pay Gertler royalties he retained following the sale, but it does so in euros rather than dollars to avoid US sanctions. Glencore itself is the focus of a US Department of Justice’s probe into possible corruption and money laundering in a few jurisdictions, including the DRC.

Glencore shares dip on Brian Molefe’s South African state capture allegations

Glencore weakened 0.44 percent to R58.24 as Molefe opened a can of worms on Friday, accusing it of using President Cyril Ramaphosa’s political influence to score lucrative contracts at the power utility.

10) No apology or comfort as another Marikana mother dies without justice

Nomawethu Ma’Bhengu Sompeta was a fierce woman with opinions as strong as her will and as sharp as her tongue. On 16 August 2012, her son Mzukisi was killed when police massacred 34 striking mineworkers at Marikana. Two weeks after she buried their son, Sompeta’s husband Mxolisi died from a heart attack triggered by watching news clips of the incident on television at their homestead in Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape.

11) Anglo American in the Amazon

Letter from the Association of Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples and Amazon Watch to Anglo American

With the presence of 200 participants from 47 villages, the assembly produced a powerful declaration that demands recognition of the Munduruku’s rights to life and territory. Both illegal “wildcat” and industrial mining were among the principal threats identified by the Munduruku.

Anglo American responds to Association of Brazil’s Indigenous Peoples and Amazon Watch letter

“[W]e continue to uphold our 2003 commitment to neither explore nor develop new mines in World Heritage sites. We also respect legally designated protected areas, in line with the International Council on Mining and Metals’ (ICMM) Position Statement on Mining and Protected Areas. Second, we will always adhere to local laws and international standards when engaging with Indigenous Peoples and we will seek to obtain Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) of Indigenous Peoples prior to conducting activities that require access to Indigenous Peoples’ lands and/or impact Indigenous Peoples’ livelihoods or cultural heritage during all stages of exploration. Anglo American also respects the right of indigenous communities to oppose mining-related activities on their land and will refrain from undertaking any activities if consent is withheld.”

Mining the Amazon brings low returns for local communities – study

Mining the Amazon has been a hot topic of debate in recent years, intensifying as Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro seeks to unlock its riches. But according to a new study, exploring for gold and diamonds does not bring significant advantages to local municipalities.

12) Anglo American’s legacy in Zambia

Africa Resources Watch (“AFREWATCH”), a Congolese human rights NGO with over two decades of experience monitoring the impact of the mining sector in the DRC and wider Southern Africa region, has written to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (“CRC”) regarding the serious and ongoing violations to the development of the children in Kabwe, Zambia, owing to toxic pollution emanating from the lead mine previously controlled by Anglo American South Africa Limited (“AASA”), a subsidiary of London-headquartered multinational mining company Anglo American Plc.

13) Vedanta in court

Zambian court denies Vedanta attempt to halt Konkola copper mines split

A Zambian court on Monday dismissed a motion by miner Vedanta Resources’ seeking to stop a state-appointed provisional liquidator from splitting up its Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) unit and selling the assets.

London Judge approves Vedanta’s out of court settlement request in Nchanga’s pollution case

A Judge in London approved a settlement reached by Vedanta Resources covering 634 Zambian children in group litigation claiming that residents were harmed by discharges of toxic water connected to the mining giant’s copper operations.

Legal claim by more than 2,500 Zambian villagers in a case against Vedanta Resources Limited

The claim was brought by more than 2,500 Zambian villagers against Konkola Copper Mines Plc and its parent company, UK-based Vedanta Resources. The claimants included 643 children.

Hedge fund to take Vedanta dispute to US regulators

Kyma Capital, founded by former Blackstone trader Akshay Shah, is set to complain to US regulators in a dispute with Indian billionaire Anil Agarwal over nearly $1 billion in loans by Vedanta Limited to its parent company, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

14) Top-level Drummond managers charged with financing paramilitaries

The current and the former president of the Colombian subsidiary of the American coal giant Drummond have been charged with complicity in gross human rights violations. Drummond has enjoyed funding from UK institutions including HSBC.

15) Pulling out of coal

South32 abandons proposed Australian metallurgical coal project

London-listed South32 has dumped its plan to develop the 1.1 billion tonne Eagle Downs metallurgical coal deposit in Queensland “at this time” as the “expected returns” do not meet the company’s target for new projects. South32 bought the part-built project from Vale in 2018 for $US106 million with a further $US27 million to be paid in later payments.

Aviva to divest from companies that don’t act on climate

Aviva Investors, one of Britain’s top asset managers, will divest from oil, gas, mining, and utility companies that do not meet its expectations on tackling climate change.

BlackRock holds $85bn in coal despite pledge to sell fossil fuel shares

Loophole means asset manager can hold shares in firms earning less than a quarter of revenues from coal – including BHP and Glencore.

16) Just transition

London Mining Network Statement on Just Transition and Transition Minerals

LMN, and its members, affirm that a rapid move away from a reliance on fossil fuels for energy is required in order to avert a growing climate crisis.

Money for nothing (or net zero)

Time for mining and other companies to recognise the cost of their climate obligations.

All the mines Tesla needs to build 20 million cars a year

The electric vehicles industry will need so much nickel, lithium and rare earths that the mining of them will create a new environmental catastrophe.

Five green energy trends topping miners’ agendas in 2021 – report

2020 was the year that climate change became a dominant force for commodities as top mining companies and governments made ambitious net-zero commitments, Wood Mackenzie notes in its latest report. Renewables grew in importance in some oil and gas companies’ portfolios and as a power source for mining. Carbon pricing accelerated, with prices for emissions allowances under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and Western Climate Initiative reaching record highs.

EU calls for global coal power phase out

Foreign ministers say climate change is an ‘existential threat to humanity.’

Raw Deal – new report from Bankwatch

Europe wants to be the first continent to become climate neutral by 2050 and the leader in ensuring that all of the world’s ecosystems are restored, resilient and adequately protected by 2050. The European Union has declared its ambition to halt, and as much as possible reverse, the pressure humans put on the planet’s resources, ecosystems, climate and biodiversity. However, as the green agenda to reach these ambitions becomes more defined, it reveals that despite the long-term goal of reducing the demand for resources and fossil fuel consumption, Europe plans to continue its exploitative model of mining raw materials in the EU and around the world.

Reports and recordings

IndustriALL webinar on energy transition

Listen to the debate on energy companies’ commitment to transition with researchers and union representatives from Germany, Australia, Colombia, Spain and South Africa.

African ecofeminist alternatives to development for a just and resilient post-extractivist future

The Global Tapestry of Alternatives recently held Dialogue 16 on African ecofeminist alternatives to development for a just and resilient post-extractivist future with panelists including WoMin’s Ecofeminist Development Alternatives Coordinator, Zo Randriamaro (Madagascar); Ange-David Baïmey (Ivory Coast) & Nonhle Mbuthuma (SA). You can watch the recording here.

Extracting Legitimacy: an analysis of corporate responses to accusations of human rights abuses

Examination of self-justifying and ‘neutralization’ techniques used by extractives companies.

The AGM of the future: 5 ways to change the AGM for the better

Recommendations from ShareAction

Environmental assassinations bad for business, new research shows

After years of research, economics experts say they can prove that financial markets respond swiftly and definitively when multinationals are publicly named in connection with the assassination of an environmental defender. The researchers analyzed 354 assassinations over two decades connected to mining and extractive minerals projects around the world, noting particularly significant violent action in the Philippines and Peru. Once a company is named, the data show that within 10 days the markets respond, hitting the company with a median loss in market capitalization of more than $100 million.