EARTHblog » No Dirty Gold
Criminal Charges for Mine Waste Dumping in Alaska
Mine wastewater is nasty stuff – so much so that this week, a mining company was criminally charged for dumping it into water. While XS Platinum is being indicted, other mining companies around the world routinely dump toxic mine wastewater into rivers, lakes and oceans.
Tagged with: mining, alaska, tailings
More Mine Waste Spills in Mexico: Where’s the Oversight?
A few weeks ago, yet another mine spilled toxic waste into rivers in Mexico, this time in the northern state of Sinaloa – the third reported mine waste spill since August.
Tagged with: tailings, mine waste, mexico, rivers, baja california sur
Mine Waste Pollutes More Rivers in Mexico
Mexico has been hit hard these past few weeks with two separate mine waste spills. One was a toxic mine spill that occurred two weeks ago in the state of Sonora, which I blogged about previously. Here, 10 million gallons of sulfuric acid spilled from the Buenavista copper mine, contaminating two rivers and leaving thousands of people without access to water. Reports also found fish kills and cattle who drank the water dead. Just a week after, a tailings spill contaminated a river in Durango.
Tagged with: water pollution, tailings, mexico
Another Orange River, Another Toxic Spill
Just a week after the Mount Polley disaster, another mine waste spill has occurred, this time from a copper mine in Mexico. About 10 million gallons of toxic mine waste spilled from the Buenavista mine into nearby rivers. Water restrictions have been imposed on thousands of people.
Tagged with: tailings, pollution, latin america, spill, mine waste, mexico, sonora
Earthworks Joins Brief to Peru Court Challenging Conga
This week, Earthworks joined Earthrights International and the Center for International Environmental Law in filing an amicus curiae [friend of the court brief] to the Peruvian Constitutional Court in support of Grufides' case.
Tagged with: mining, no dirty gold, peru, conga
Coming Soon: A New Standard for More Responsible Mining
Earthworks is part of a multistakeholder group working to develop the world's first certification system for more responsible mining. Today, the group releases the first draft of the standards for public comment. Here's a message from the committee about these groundbreaking standards.
Tagged with: certification, irma, standards
Workers, Rivers, Mines: Mt Lyell in Tasmania
The Mt Lyell mine in Tasmania, Australia, with its controversial track record of worker fatalities and river pollution, plans to restart operations at the end of June 2014.
Tagged with: mining, water pollution, copper, australia, worker safety
Police brutally dismantle peaceful mining resistance in Guatemala
Since March 2012, community members of San José del Golfo and San Pedro Ayampuc have sustained a blockade of El Tambor gold mine in Guatemala. Known as “La Puya,” they have successfully blocked development of the mine despite repeated harassment, eviction attempts and even violence.
In May 2014, Guatemalan police officers laid siege to La Puya, standing guard as contractors of Kappes, Cassidy & Associates, the US company that currently holds the concession to the mine, brought in mining equipment.
Tagged with: mining, human rights, fpic, guatemala, protests
US companies to come clean on minerals sourcing
Next week marks a significant milestone in the effort to eliminate the brutal conflict minerals trade in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has funded armed insurgents responsible for mass murder and rape for the past twenty years.June 2 is the deadline for companies to comply with the Dodd-Frank conflict minerals legislation, and file reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosing whether the tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold they have purchased have fueled conflict in the region.
Tagged with: conflict minerals, sec, congo, drc, dodd frank, conflict gold
Moms Lead the Charge Against Dirty Gold Mining
It’s almost Mother’s Day! Whatever your feelings about manufactured holidays, it’s always a good idea to give thanks to mom. So call her, take her out to lunch, send her (fair trade) flowers, or have your kids make her a handmade card.
But think twice before buying her a shiny piece of gold bling. Mother’s Day is the second largest gold-jewelry buying day of the year in the United States. But many of us buying jewelry for our moms may unknowingly be hurting mothers and children who live in places where the gold is mined. Producing enough gold for a 0.3 ounce gold band generates 20 tons of mine waste — much of which is contaminated with chemicals such as cyanide or mercury. Massive pollution, huge open pits, devastating community health effects, worker dangers and, in many cases, human rights abuses have become hallmarks of gold and metals mining in countries such as Peru, Indonesia, Ghana, Guatemala and parts of the United States.
Tagged with: mining, gold, mothers day
Over 80 groups sign statement opposing intimidation and forced displacement of mining protesters in Peru
This week, Newmont Mining Co. held its annual shareholders’ meeting.
As it has done for the past several years, the event took place at the Hotel DuPont in Wilmington, Delaware, more than a thousand miles from its headquarters in Colorado, and far from the protesters and media attention that typified its meetings when they were held in downtown Denver.
But despite keeping its shareholder meeting under wraps, Newmont has not escaped either controversy or protesters.
Tagged with: gold mining, human rights, newmont, peru, water, fpic, conga, cajamarca
Colombia moves to protect wilderness rapidly threatened by mining
Here's some good news: Colombia recently announced the quadrupling in size of a protected wilderness area, the Santurban Regional National Park. The expansion is intended to protect the unique high-altitude páramo ecosystem from large-scale mining and other extractive development. Home to both the Amazon and the páramos, Colombia is a country rich in biodiversity.
Tagged with: mining, protected areas, colombia, santurban, paramo
Gold mining threatens historical site in Georgia
We’ve blogged a great deal about the mining industry’s social and environmental impacts. Now, in the country of Georgia, a mining company threatens a cultural heritage site – one that can shed more light on the origin of all humans.
Tagged with: mining, gold, georgia
To Restore Olympic Shine, Start with the Medals
The Sochi Games couldn’t have gone much better for Vladimir Putin. He has successfully used the prestige of the Olympics to bolster his reputation in Russia—all while blanketing concerns like gay rights, free speech and corruption under a layer of wet Sochi snow. (Though his intervention in Ukraine may dwarf all). For the reputation of the Olympics, however, the Sochi Games leave a mixed legacy. The world is now wondering whether the Olympics, a showcase for values like excellence and fair play, are as morally agnostic as they seem.
Tagged with: mining, gold, dirty gold, olympics
This Valentine’s Day, Say NO to Dirty Gold
Valentine’s Day is almost here. Whatever your stance on consumerism or manufactured holidays, it’s one of the biggest gift giving days of the year. Millions of people in the United States and around the world will be expressing their love with gifts.
According to National Jeweler, 20 percent of these gift-givers will be giving jewelry, and they’ll spend $4 billion doing so. Unfortunately, much of this Valentine’s Day jewelry is tarnished with dirty gold that's tarnished by human rights abuses and pollution.
Tagged with: mining, no dirty gold, bristol bay, jewelry retailers, conga, valentine's day
Papua New Guinea Court Demands Cleanup at Mine
It's remarkable to think about the things irresponsible mining companies get away with -- particularly in isolated and developing parts of the world. For example, mining companies regularly dump toxic mine waste directly into the world's rivers, lakes and oceans – killing wildlife, contaminating drinking water and destroying livelihoods in the process. But recently, the tiny Pacific Island nation of Papua New Guinea, said: enough is enough. PNG's National Court ordered the huge Ok Tedi mine, formerly run by BHP Billiton, to stop dumping mine waste into the river.
Tagged with: papua new guinea, troubled waters, png
An update from the field on the Conga Mine
I spent nearly a week in Peru’s Cajamarca region in spring of 2013 investigating the controversy around the proposed Conga Mine, which sits atop a plateau nearly 4,000 meters above sea level north of the city of Cajamarca, Perú. The plateau is a massive dome of uplifted metamorphic and sedimentary rock rich valuable minerals like gold, copper and molybdenum. Lower in elevation than other parts of the Peruvian Andes, however, the area lacks snow and ice. The hydrology instead is rain-fed, nourishing high-altitude grasslands called jalgas, as well as alpine lakes and wetlands, or bofedales. These lakes and wetlands are the headwaters of all the streams, rivers, and drinking water for the surrounding areas, including most of Cajamarca’s 250,000 residents.
Tagged with: mining, peru, conga
Selling Opposition to a Gold Mine to Santa Fe, New Mexico
When I learned last July of a proposed gold mine just south of my home in Santa Fe, I brought a group together and started a campaign. Earthworks offered support early; and last week, we published a study, Public Risk, Private Reward: an analysis of the Ortiz Gold Mine proposal. This report was part of a broader strategy—it followed my editorial in our local paper in September and the Stop Santa Fe Gold Facebook page. We needed to frame how public risk outweighs economic benefit.
I also made sure people knew I am a real Santa Fe jeweler and business man, a winner of sustainability awards. The selling of the opposition to a gold mine had to be rational, focused mainly on human impact, and tied to the bottom line. In a drought stricken region, the mine may consume the annual water supply of up to 7,000 homes, drain acid into the groundwater for generations and [Ortiz_map] create a massive tailing heap.
Tagged with: mining, gold, no dirty gold, jewelers
Retailers for Responsible Mining: Toby Pomeroy
Earthworks' No Dirty Gold campaign is encouraged by growing consumer awareness of the importance of responsibly mined gold. We also appreciate the many retailers who are steadily building a market for ethical jewelry.
We continue our series interviewing NDG retailers, with Toby Pomeroy, who started jewelry making in college and built a business committed to ethical sourcing.
Tagged with: mining, gold, no dirty gold, jewelry, jewelers
Mongolian Mining Activist Imprisoned
Last November, I wrote about T.S. Munkhbayar, a community leader in Mongolia whose efforts to protect his country from an explosion in mining helped spur the long-overdue regulation of mining companies. Munkhbayar was arrested then during a protest to proposed amendments to repeal these regulations.
Recently we heard the sad news that Munkhbayar and his fellow protesters have been sentenced to 21 years each for the accidental (the arresting officer is on record as acknowledging this) discharge of a weapon and the possession of guns (which is not unusual in Mongolia) at the protest, under the charge of terrorism.
Tagged with: mining, dirty gold, mongolia
Intel Goes Conflict Free
Intel, the company that essentially makes the world run with its microprocessors, recently made a game-changing announcement at a Las Vegas electronics convention: this year, it would phase out all "conflict minerals" from its microprocessors.
Tagged with: mining, dirty gold, conflict minerals, congo, dodd-frank
A New Victory in Rosia Montana
Our partners in Romania shared some good news with us yesterday: The Romanian Parliament rejected legal amendments that would have paved the way for the development of the proposed Rosia Montana mine by Canadian-owned Gabriel Resources. If built, the residents of Rosia Montana would have to be forcibly resettled because the mine would destroy the entire town.
Tagged with: romania, rosia montana
Call for a Fair and Transparent Trial for Mongolian Mining Activists
Last month, a group of Mongolian community activists led by Tsetsegee Munkhbayar, recipient of the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize in 2007, were arrested outside the Mongolian Parliament. They were at the Parliament protesting proposals to abolish mining regulations that would protect the country’s waterways from decades of destruction from irresponsible mining companies operating in a regulation-free environment. The activists were arrested after the accidental firing of a gun, according to Mongolian police.
Romania Votes “No” on Rosia Montana Open-Pit Mine
Good news: The Romanian parliament rejected the proposed Rosia Montana open-pit gold mine on Monday, after months of protests on the streets of Bucharest and around the world. As we've blogged about before, this mine proposal epitomizes “dirty gold” for many reasons.
Tagged with: no dirty gold, romania, rosia montana, gabriel
Fish More Valuable than Copper: The EPA’s Decision on Bristol Bay
Bristol Bay, Alaska is home to the world’s largest commercial sockeye salmon fishery. Tens of millions of salmon return annually to spawn there where runs of King Salmon and Rainbow Trout comprise an essential part of an Arctic ecosystem alongside caribou, moose, grizzlies, and wolves. In addition to the spectacular wildlife, the Bristol Bay community supports considerable economic activity tied to a sustainable way of life for the Native residents spanning at least 4000 years.
Tagged with: epa, bristol bay, pebble mine, clean water act, 404c, pebble limited partnership
Retailers for Responsible Mining: Johanna Mejía
The No Dirty Gold campaign calls on retailers, from large department stores to small businesses, to sign the “Golden Rules,” pledging to commit to more responsible metals sourcing. Thus far, 94 retailers have signed on to the Golden Rules, and the list continues to grow. This is one of a series of occasional interviews in which we ask retailers about why they signed the pledge and how they work to implement the Golden Rules in their business. Note that the views expressed by retailers do not necessarily reflect the view of Earthworks.
Tagged with: no dirty gold, retailers, colombia, small scale mining
Why Anglo walked away from the planet’s richest undeveloped gold deposit
The BusinessWeek story asks Why Miners Walked Away From the Planet's Richest Undeveloped Gold Deposit and partly answers its own question.
We appreciate the shout-out. But we also want to make it clear that the Bristol Bay Protection pledge and market pressure from the No Dirty Gold campaign are just one part of a broad effort in which dozens of tribes, conservation groups, and business played a part. Credit is due to this diverse coalition of Native Alaskans, commercial and recreational fishermen, chefs, students, and many others.
Tagged with: no dirty gold, bristol bay, anglo american, pebble, cynthia carroll, northern dyansty
Anglo American Pulls out of Pebble Mine
Big news today -- Anglo-American canceled its investment in the Pebble copper and gold mine project in Bristol Bay, Alaska. The departure is great news for anyone who cares about preserving natural wilderness, but most of all for Alaska Native communities who depend on the Bristol Bay watershed for their livelihoods.
Tagged with: gold, bristol bay, alaska, pebble mine, salmon
Of vampires and a zombie mine in Transylvania
Transylvania, Romania, is known for its fictional vampires – this is the region where Bram Stoker set his classic vampire novel, Dracula, in 1897. Over a century later, the region is threatened not by fictional vampires but a very real –and far scarier –monster: the Rosia Montana mine.
Tagged with: mining, dirty gold, newmont, fpic, protest, gabriel resources, rosia montana
Interview: Retailers for Responsible Mining
Earthworks' No Dirty Gold campaign is encouraged by growing consumer awareness of the importance of responsibly mined gold. We also appreciate the many retailers who are steadily building a market for ethical jewelry.
Earthworks asks retailers, from large department stores to small businesses, to sign the No Dirty Gold pledge, and source their gold products exclusively from mines who uphold the Golden Rules for responsible mining. We are heartened to see that 93 retailers have made a commitment to improved standards in gold.
This is a first in a series of blog post-interview with NDG retailers, about why they signed on to the Golden Rules and how they implement their values of sustainability in their business. Here we interview Brian Leber, one of the first signatories.
Tagged with: mining, gold, no dirty gold, golden rules, jewelry
Victory! Court Upholds Conflict Minerals Rule
If you believe corporate accountability for human rights violations is a good thing, you'll love this news: Industry interest groups looking to tie up the Dodd Frank conflict minerals rule in court lost. This week, a federal court upheld the SEC rule that requires corporations to publicly disclose whether the minerals they source have helped finance armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Tagged with: international, conflict minerals, congo, dodd frank
Disclose- Just not Publicly: API Prevails in Suit Over Dodd Frank Transparency Rule
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act passed in 2010. Section 1504 of that law required the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) to issue rules compelling companies that extract oil, natural gas, or minerals to publish payments they make to governments. The purpose here was to lift what is known as the “resource curse”- where some of the most mineral rich nations suffer with some of the poorest populations. The solution: shine the light of transparency on nations led by regimes where mineral riches go to only multinational corporations and corrupt government officials who exploit their indigenous populations.
Tagged with: sec, dodd frank, 1504, eiti, api, useiti
Industry Interest Group Delays Conflict Minerals Rule
In 2010, in response to unspeakable atrocities from the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Congress did a powerful thing: It passed Section 1502 of the Dodds Frank Act,which requires companies to investigate and disclose whether they source minerals from this region for their products, and whether this sourcing contributed funds to armed groups.
Tagged with: gold, conflict minerals, congo, dodd frank, tin
Jewelers Risk Tarnishing their Jewelry with ‘Responsible’ Jewellery Council certification
This weekend, jewelers from around the world will gather in Las Vegas for the Jewelry Circular Keystone (JCK) conference, where they will attend jewelry exhibits, discuss the latest industry trends and even see Maroon 5 live.
What does this have to do with us -- and with you?
Tagged with: mining, gold, jewelry, rjc, diamond
Mining Company Works to Remove Legal Protections for Sumatran Rainforest
What happens when more than a million hectares of protected Sumatran rainforest stand in the way of mining development? For East Asia Minerals Corporation, the answer is to remove those protections.
Tagged with: international, indonesia, biodiversity
AZ Legislators Seek to Give Sacred Apache Land to International Mining Companies
Earlier this week Senators McCain and Flake, along with Representatives Gosar and Kirkpatrick, introduced the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2013 (HR 687). The bill’s purpose is to facilitate a copper mine in federally protected lands east of Superior, Arizona. This bill, similar to the version in the 112th Congress, has been debated for years. The sticking point boils down to whether international mining companies Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton should dig for copper destroying areas sacred to the Apache Tribe and enjoyed by campers, climbers, and other recreationalists.
Tagged with: oak flat, rio tinto, apache leap, resolution copper, land exchange
President Obama Selects REI Executive Sally Jewell as Next Interior Secretary
Today, President Obama announced his choice to replace Ken Salazar as Secretary of Interior. The President picked Sally Jewell, the current head of Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI). REI is a well-known retail outfitter based in Seattle, Washington. The President had a number of excellent options available to him and we salute the selection of Ms. Jewell. If confirmed by the Senate, Ms. Jewell will face a number of critical decisions related to the competing interests of expanding oil and gas development on public lands while preserving those lands for future generations.
Tagged with: obama, doi, department of interior, sally jewell, interior
The Haile Gold Mine, the Loopholes, the Permitting, and the Push Eastward
The Haile Mine near Kershaw, South Carolina first struck gold in 1827. Back then, the Carolinas lead the nation in gold mining until California’s 1849 Gold Rush drove our Manifest Destiny westward. Since then, most hardrock mining has occurred in the Mountain West where large tracts of public land allow mining companies to remove America’s precious metals for free under the 1872 mining law.
Tagged with: mining reform, clean water act, loopholes, permitting, 1872, haile
We Stand with the People of El Salvador
Yesterday I helped deliver a letter to the Canadian Embassy here in Washington, DC, about the lawsuit against the Central American country of El Salvador, by Pacific Rim Mining Corporation. The letter was coordinated by the Institute for Policy Studies and signed by Friends of the Earth, Center for International Environmental Law, Public Citizen, Sierra Club Greenpeace, Earth Island Institute and Foundation Earth (along with Earthworks).
Pacific Rim is a Canadian mining company exploring for gold in the mineral rich mountains of El Salvador. It is no surprise to geologists that Pacific Rim believes they can strike it rich there. Billions of dollars rich.
Tagged with: mining, gold, fpic, el salvador, pacific rim, icsid
Extractive Industries Fail to See Their Way through Transparency
The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) is an international effort to provide a robust yet flexible standard for disclosing revenues paid to governments from oil, gas, and mining companies for the people’s valuable minerals. What’s unique about EITI is the process. Rather than some international institution or government ordaining regulations, EITI establishes a collaborative process involving representatives from industry, government, and regular folks who through consensus develop the right transparency rules to fit the society.
Follow The Money
The EITI road is a two way street. Industry publishes the taxes, royalties, and other payments they make to governments. And governments disclose the money they receive. This transparency is especially critical in developing regions of the world where riches under the ground have led to enormous conflict, corruption, and strife. For wealthier nations, the transparency standards create greater certainty and reassurance for investors and stronger accountability for elected officials. Right now, the United States is vetting nominees to serve on our own EITI working group.
Tagged with: conflict minerals, sec, dodd-frank, extractive industries, eiti
Greenland: The Final Frontier
On an average summer, about half of the ice cover of Greenland thaws at its surface. This July, 97% of the surface ice of Greenland melted.
The first days of autumn are often a time to reflect on the fruits of summer, and these recent events in Greenland require nothing less.
China, which currently controls 90% of the world’s rare earth metals, reported in June that it is serious about acquiring new deposits, and is looking to Greenland.
Tagged with: mining, climate change, rare earths, greenland
The Critical Minerals Debate: Silencing Community Voices to Ease International Markets
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is set to consider rare earth mineral legislation possibly as soon as this month. The bill, S. 1113, the Critical Minerals Policy Act of 2012, resulted from careful negotiations between the committee’s chairman and ranking member incorporating many ideas offered by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Senator Mark Udall (D-CO). Bipartisanship is at a premium in this town and the value of producing sensible and balanced policy is worth more than the minerals this bill intends to promote.
S. 1113 directs the Secretary of Interior to designate 10 critical minerals and develop and implement a series of studies and comprehensive regulatory reviews related to every aspect of the public input and environmental permitting process. This includes requiring the Secretary to create specific performance metrics designed to measure reductions in permit times for each stage of critical mineral mining operations. Studies are good. And government efficiency is too. The problem is that heavy-handed mandated reductions in permit approval times will reduce the ability of communities impacted by mining to voice their concerns.
Tagged with: critical minerals, strategic minerals, rare earth, murkowski, s.1113,
Citizens United: Enviros Target the Oil-agarchy
We all know the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission already has and will continue to have a dramatic effect on our elections. Even if we don’t follow politics but live in any swing state, we know the effect well: more political ads, more vitriol, more mud and negativity, less disclosure, accountability, and honesty. Citizens United tells us that corporations are people and money is speech.
Tagged with: democracy, citizen united, elections
Sunshine for the Dodd-Frank Act?
On August 22, 2012, over a year after the deadline given by Congress, the Securities and Exchange Commissions (SEC) will have a meeting to discuss the implementation of Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. The Sunshine Act Meeting is open to public and will, amongst other things, finalize controversial rules regulating the responsibility companies have to consumers to disclose whether or not their products contain conflict minerals.
Conflict minerals, in terms of the Dodd-Frank Act, are gold, tin, tantalum and tungsten, elements that are commonly used in the production of electronics, jewelry, and automobiles. They are called conflict minerals because revenues and trade in these minerals have also financed wars, armed conflict, and human rights violations in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Tagged with: mining, conflict minerals, sec, dodd-frank, 1502
Conga No Va: A Ground-Level View of the Mining Conflict in Northern Peru
By EARTHWORKS
July 10, 2012
CAJAMARCA, PERU –– “Um, I think we have to find another place to meet,” I shouted into the phone on the morning of the Fourth of July. I was supposed to meet a local professor in the downtown Plaza de Armas here in Cajamarca, Peru, but at our designated meeting time, police were throwing tear gas into the plaza, and I saw them kicking and beating people who were slow (or too defiant) to move out of the way.
I’m here researching mining conflicts – reading, observing, and interviewing protestors, government officials, NGO staff, community members, and other stakeholders. On Tuesday night, July 3, a State of Emergency was declared here in the city of Cajamarca and two neighboring provinces of Celendín and Bambamarca after clashes between police and anti-mining protestors turned fatal. In Peru, a State of Emergency suspends certain constitutional rights such as freedom of assembly, gives police power to arrest without warrant, and gives the armed forces a frighteningly broad mandate to help the police maintain order. That evening, tear gas and violence swept through downtown Cajamarca, as described by OnEarth Magazine’s George Black. Many activists interpret the crackdown as a piece of a bigger puzzle: the criminalization of social protest in Peru.
Tagged with: mining, newmont, peru, violence, conga, protests
Environmental activist arrested and brutalized for opposing Newmont’s Conga gold mine
What is going on in Peru?
On July 4, riot police in Peru surrounded Father Marco Arana, a Catholic priest and human rights and environmental activist, as he sat peacefully on a bench Cajamarca’s town square. The police officers proceeded to kick, punch and beat Father Marco, forcing him to the ground and surrounding him – all of which was captured on cell phone video cameras and immediately posted online. He was then arrested and forcibly taken to the police station, where we learned through his Twitter feed, he continued to be beaten and brutalized.
Tagged with: mining, gold, peru, conga
Earthworks Joins Groups Calling Electronics Companies to Break from US Chamber on Conflict Minerals
Today Earthworks joined Global Witness, Enough Project, and a group of other organizations calling for electronics companies to break from the US Chamber of Commerce for its stance of conflict minerals. The Chamber continues to pressure decision makers to overturn a key section of the Dodd-Frank Act designed to curb the deadly trade of conflict minerals from eastern Congo. The minerals covered under the 1502 provision of the Dodd-Frank Act are commonplace in most all electronics, and increasingly in the automotive industry.
Recently, electronics giants Microsoft, General Electric, and Motorola Solutions rebuked the Chamber’s opposition of 1502 by announcing they do not support its stance against the conflict mineral provision. These companies have come to realize the role they can play in breaking the link between the global trade in minerals and violence in eastern DRC. It’s time for the rest of the electronics industry to follow suit; not to mention the jewelry and automotive industry that have yet to distance themselves from The Chambers opposition to the conflict mineral rule in the Dodd-Frank Act.
You can read the entire press release after the jump
Tagged with: human rights, conflict minerals, congo, media, 1502, dodd frank, electronics
New Report: Murders of Environmental Activists on the Rise
Last week Global Witness released the report, A Hidden Crisis?, documenting the murders of environmental activists around the world. The report examines reported killings of journalist, activists, and community members that have been killed because of their involvement in the defense of the environment. Spanning back to 2002, the report finds that 711 people have been killed in the last decade, or more than one person a week. The report paints a stark picture of the threats community members are facing as the mining industry, logging, and cattle ranching look to develop new lands. Killings have skyrocketed in the past years. Global Witness reports that there were over 106 murders in 2011 alone.
Tagged with: mining, gold, no dirty gold, human rights, mexico, guatemala
Deja Vu: Newmont’s annual meeting held amidst growing mine conflicts and clean water fights
Yesterday I attended Newmont Mining Co.’s annual shareholder meeting. The meeting took place in a small hotel banquet room in a Wilmington, DE hotel. The Denver-based company has held its annual meeting here ever since 2007 after meeting in Denver became a lightening rod for annual protests against their irresponsible mining operations. However, while Newmont may have hidden away from protestors outside their meetings, they continue to face criticism inside their shareholder meeting.
Earthworks went up to the meeting to voice our concerns regarding Newmont’s continued lack of a robust community consultation and a free prior and informed consent (FPIC) policy for their mine projects, most recently at their proposed Minas Conga project in Peru. Here’s our statement and question to the Newmont Board of Directors:
Tagged with: gold, dirty gold, newmont, peru, water, fpic, conga, latin america, agm, consent
House Majority Pushes USA to Mine More Like the Chinese
The House Majority recently introduced HR 4402 a bill called the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012. The authors cleverly spell out the purported purpose in a series of whereas clauses that form the bill’s preamble. Ostensibly, the problem wants to solve is a dearth of domestic production of so-called rare earth or critical minerals. These minerals consist mainly of those elements in the bottom two rows of the periodic table and have varied applications in electronics, hybrid technology, renewable energy, and defense industries.
Tagged with: critical minerals, rare earths, house of representatives, china
Philippines Mining Activist Wins 2012 Goldman Prize
Today is a red-letter day for grassroots mining activists around the world: Fr. Edwin Gariguez is awarded the 2012 Goldman Environmental Prize for his work to stop irresponsible mining development on Mindoro Island in the Philippines. I’m looking forward to seeing Fr. Edwin receive his award at the San Francisco Opera House this evening, along with 5 other amazing Prize recipients from around the world. (By the way, if you can’t be there, make sure you watch this video clip about Fr. Edwin, narrated by Robert Redford.)
Fr. Edu, as he is affectionately known, is being recognized by the Goldman Prize for working to defend the Indigenous communities and biological diversity of Mindoro from a giant nickel mine proposed by Intex, a Norwegian mining company. The mine would be built in two key biodiversity areas, and within one of Mindoro’s major watersheds, which provides drinking and irrigation water to many lowland communities. If developed, the nickel mine would destroy vast swaths of tropical forests, and would produce several million tons of toxic waste. Mindoro’s Mangyan Indigenous communities would also be hurt by the mine, as the proposed mining area is within their ancestral land. As Fr. Edu has said, “For the indigenous Mangyan people living on Mindoro Island, the struggle to protect our threatened ecology is a matter of survival.”
Tagged with: mining, human rights, nickel mining, goldman prize, philippines, intex
Ecuador signs contract for 1st ever large-scale mine; communities react with ongoing protests.
Last month Ecuador did something it had never done before. It signed contracts for the first large-scale mining project in the history of the country. Prior to President Rafael Correa's championing of mega-mines in Ecuador, Ecuador was the last Andean country without a large-scale mine. It was also the last Andean country to not have to deal with major water contamination from cyanide run-off. It was the last Andean country to not have to deal with the millions of tons of toxic mine tailings each mine site must dispose of, often in water sources. That's all changed now.
Despite growing protests because of Correa's decision to open up the country to multi-national mining corporations, the President has remained defiant and steadfast in his decision. Even as thousands of people poured into the streets last month for a two week march in defense of water and in opposition to large-scale mining, Correa proclaimed: "We will not be beggars sitting on a sack of gold.";
Tagged with: mining, gold, indigenous, kinross gold, ecuador
Troubled Waters – and no bridge to cross them
The 313 million people who live in the United States send about 120 million tonnes of trash to landfills every year. That’s a lot of trash - just think of all the photos you’ve seen of landfills overflowing with mountains of discarded refuse.
But that number pales in comparison with the amount of waste that mining corporations dump into oceans, rivers, and lakes around the world each year, which tops 180 million tonnes. These wastes can contain arsenic, lead, mercury, cyanide and over thirty other dangerous chemicals.
The staff at Earthworks and MiningWatch Canada have spent the past year investigating this egregious - and outdated – practice; we report our findings in a new study, Troubled Waters: How Mine Waste Dumping is Poisoning Our Ocean, Rivers and Lakes.
Tagged with: gold, water pollution, submarine tailings disposal, mining waste, tailings, mining watch canada, copper, std
Macy’s told to dump dirty gold this Valentine’s Day
Today, activists from the No Dirty Gold campaign left Macy’s a message at its downtown Washington D.C. storefront. The activists decorated the Macy’s front entrance with a giant balloon banner reading: “Macy’s, Don’t Break our Hearts. Dump Dirty Gold!” - referring to Macy’s failure to sign on to the No Dirty Gold campaign’s “Golden Rules” for responsible metals’ sourcing.
The activists showed up at Macy’s the day before Valentine’s Day to let shoppers know that Macy’s has thus far taken no action to help rid the jewelry industry of dirty gold: gold that may have been produced at the cost of human rights abuses, labor violations, and environmental destruction, among others.
Valentine’s Day is one of Macy’s busiest shopping seasons in the year, with the jewelry departments full of shoppers looking to buy gold jewelry for their special someone. Some of these prospective shoppers in Washington DC were greeted today by the large banner, held by over 3 dozen helium balloons, floating over the store’s main entrance informing shoppers about Macy’s dirty secret.
Tagged with: gold, no dirty gold, dirty gold, golden rules, macys, action
Colombia town outlaws open-pit mining, bucks displacement attempts from Gran Colombia Gold
Colombia is in the middle of a mining bonanza. The national geology and mining regulation body, Ingeominas, reports that between 2008-2010 over 15,000 applications for mining operations were submitted. According to the new report “Mining in Colombia: at What Cost?” (PDF) nearly 40% of Colombia lands are under extraction and exploration licenses. Over 8.4 million hectares have been leased solely for mining, or just about 4x the size of New Jersey.
In the Colombia highlands mining is not a new way of livelihood. Artisanal mining has been a cornerstone of community sufficiency for generations, as is the case in Marmato. Marmato is a small village, in the department of Caldas, with a 500-year history of small-scale artisanal mining. In many ways the community of Marmato embodies the growing struggles of communities that sit on Colombia’s resource rich lands. In this case it’s gold. Marmato sits on “Montana de Oro”, or Mountain of Gold, so it is no surprise that large multi-national mining companies are anxious to tap into the area’s known deposits.
Tagged with: mining, gold, dirty gold, human rights, gran colombia, displacement, colombia
Vote Freeport McMoRan for 2012’s worst corporation on earth
If communities in West Papua, Indonesia had anything to say about it Freeport-McMoRan would certainly be named the worst corporation in the world. Now you can help get Freeport-McMoRan listed as 2012’s worst corporation in the world.
Every year the Public Eye Award is given to the world worst corporation on earth. Previous winners include; Chevron, for their oil disaster in Ecuador; Newmont for their irresponsible mining and pollution in Ghana and Peru; AngloGold Ashanti, for it’s contamination of land and poisoning of people with its gold mining in Ghana. This year Freeport-McMoRan joins this shameful company as a finalist for the “award”.
Tagged with: human rights, indonesia, freeport mcmoran, public eye awards, grasberg
SEC delays conflict mineral rules as human rights abuses continue
There are varied definitions for conflict minerals. I usually define conflict minerals as minerals that are mined and used to influence and finance armed conflict, human rights abuses, and violence.
I also like Global Witness’ definition of “conflict resources” as “natural resources whose systematic exploitation and trade in a context of conflict contribute to, benefit from or result in the commission of serious violations of human rights, violations of international humanitarian law or violations amounting to crimes under international law”.
Two years ago this term “conflict minerals” hit the US business community with a thud. See, the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act had a small section, section 1502, that mandated companies fully understand their supply-chain and report whether or not they were using conflict minerals - in this case tin, tungsten, tantalum, and gold - from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The definition used for this law is a specific one and only looks at conflict associated with minerals in the regions of eastern DRC.
Tagged with: gold, dirty gold, international, conflict minerals, sec, congo, dodd-frank, drc, corporate accountability
The Wizards Behind The RJC Curtain Are Losing Control
“[The] Responsible Jewellery Council’s Chain of Custody destroys value […]
The Chain of Custody is a fiction that cannot truly be verified.”
– Chaim Even-Zohar, one of the most prominent, respected journalists in the jewelry trade press.
The Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) website declares that its 350+ members are
“committed to promoting responsible ethical, human rights, social and environmental practices in a transparent and accountable manner throughout the industry from mine to retail. “
These are noble sentiments. How to square them with Even-Zohar’s quote?
Tagged with: dirty gold, jewelry retailers, responsible jewellery council, fair jewelry action usa
Give Macy’s a ring today! (Not the gold kind)
Over 16,000 people have urged Macy’s – by letter or by Facebook – to speak out against dirty gold, and sign the Golden Rules for Responsible Metals Sourcing.
Unfortunately, they haven’t.Yet.
So it’s time to ramp up the pressure.
Can you take a minute from your busy holiday week to call Macy’s? Think of it as caroling against dirty gold. We need to call Macy’s and tell their people (Jim and Beth) to sign the Golden Rules.
Jim Sluzewski, Senior VP, External Affairs 513-579-7764 &
Beth Charlton, Director Issue Management & Special Projects, 513-562-6928
We’re asking for 1 minute of your day to call Macy’s and ask them to sign the “Golden Rules” for responsible metals sourcing. We want to call two representatives at Macy’s - if you can only make one call, that’s ok!
Tagged with: gold, no dirty gold, jewelry retailers, golden rules, jewelry, macys, action
Macy’s passes the buck on responsibility
The past two weeks Earthworks and Change.org members have sent over 14,000 petitions to Macy's calling for them to sign the "Golden Rules". Macy's remained silent.
This past week people concerned with Macy’s inaction to help curb irresponsible gold mining took over Macy’s Facebook page. Over 200 people flooded the Facebook page asking Macy’s to take a stand against irresponsible metal mining, join the over 80 other jewelry retailers, and sign the “Golden Rules”. For the first few days, Macy’s seemed to be ignoring people’s questions and concerns.
Today, Macy’s has posted a reply on its Facebook page. The response lays out precisely why we need Macy’s, as a major jewelry retailer, to sign on to the “Golden Rules”
Tagged with: gold, no dirty gold, jewelry retailers, golden rules, jewelry, macys, action
“Occupy” Macy’s Facebook page and urge them to say no to dirty gold!
Today people are occupying Macy's Facebook page to tell them it's time to sign on to the "Golden Rules"!
Do you think Macy's customers want their gold jewelry:
• mined by children's hands,
• poisoning communities' drinking water,
• or violating human rights?
We think they don't.
But dirty gold does all these things. That's why we created the Golden Rules of Responsible Metals Sourcing: to enlist jewelry retailers – who account for more than 80% of the world's gold mine production – to pressure the mining industry to eliminate dirty gold.
Unfortunately, Macy's – unlike eight of the other top 10 gold retailers in the U.S. – has refused to commit to the Golden Rules. That's why over ten thousand people emailed Macy's last week demanding they help clean up dirty gold. Now the message is spreading to Facebook. People are flooding Macy's Facebook page to tell them to sign on to the Golden Rules. We want to keep the pressure on!
Tagged with: gold, no dirty gold, golden rules, macys
Children paid in dirt: Could gold from these mines be sold at Macy’s and Costco?
Last night NBC aired “The Price of Gold”. The program traveled to the west African country of Mali to explore the gold mines of the region that have boomed since the spike in gold prices. Richard Engel sits down with young boys who work in the mines only to be paid in bags of dirt, he hears stories of children being pulled from school to mine from gold, and visits families that are constantly exposed to the highly toxic mercury and its fumes during the crude separating process.
The report is as disturbing as it is important.
Video after the jump.
Tagged with: mining, gold, no dirty gold, jewelry retailers, child labor
Peru declares state of emergency as opposition grows against Conga gold mine.
Late last night President Humala, in a nationally televised address, declared a State of Emergency in four provinces in the state of Cajamarca. The provinces have been the center of the country’s anti-mining protests for the past months because of the record-breaking $4.8 billion Conga gold mine project.
The declaration comes after nearly two weeks of sustained protests in the region calling for the Conga Project, owed by Denver-based Newmont Mining, to be cancelled permanently. Communities and farmers claim that the project threatens the water that has been relied on for livelihood and survival for generations.
"We are not radical. It's just that the Conga project has no legitimacy in the eyes of the people." Milton Sanchez, one of many protest leaders
Tagged with: no dirty gold, gold mining, newmont, peru, fpic, conga
Newmont Mining suspends Conga gold mine development indefinitely
In the wake of Peru's Ministry on the Environment raising concerns over an Environmental Impact Study, growing community opposition, and strong political blowback the Humala Administration yesterday requested that Newmont suspend all operations at the Conga mine site. In turn, Newmont has agreed to suspend their Conga gold mine development in Northern Peru, indefinitely.
Statement from Earthworks Executive Director, Jennifer Krill, on the suspension of the Conga project:
Earthworks welcomes this week's decision by Newmont Mining Co. to suspend the development of its controversial Conga mine in northern Peru at the request of President Ollanta Humala. The Minas Conga development has been at the center of many weeks of protests by community members and elected officials who are concerned about the project's impacts on the environment, water supplies, health and livelihoods. The project is a partnership between Newmont, Peruvian company Buenaventura, and the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC).
We urge the company, government and communities to open up a meaningful dialogue process that is undertaken in good faith. We also encourage all parties at the table to take the necessary time to build trust and address concerns.
Newmont Mining operates Latin America's largest gold mine, Yanacocha, in northern Peru, and this is not the first time that Newmont's Peruvian operations have been mired in controversy. In 2000, a truck carrying mercury from the Yanacocha deposit spilled 330 pounds of the toxic chemical along a road near the town of Choropampa, sickening hundreds of people, including children. In 2004, Newmont Mining was forced to suspend plans to develop the Cerro Quilish deposit after residents blockaded roads and protested the project."
You can read the complete statement HERE.
Tagged with: mining, gold, no dirty gold, newmont, peru, fpic, conga
Attention Shoppers: Macy’s has special on dirty gold. Help us stop it!
Today Earthworks is cranking up the pressure on Macy’s!
Why?
Macy’s has a dirty little secret they are hiding from their customers this holiday season. Dirty gold.
TAKE ACTION: Today we launched this petition calling Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren to sign the Golden Rules and step up for human rights, environmental protection, and fair labor, this holiday season!
We’ve been waiting for Macy’s to do the right thing and sign on to the “Golden Rules” for responsible metals sourcing for over a year now. In that time, gold mining communities have been kicked off their lands, drinking water has been polluted, and massive labor violations have taken place.
When it comes to gold, Macy’s may not be steering the mining equipment or the bulldozers, but it is in the driver's seat. Jewelry demand accounts for over 80% of annual global gold mine production, and companies that sell jewelry, such as Macy's, can play a powerful role in demanding more ethically produced gold.
By signing the Golden Rules for responsible sourcing, a number of jewelry retailers have taken an imortance stance against destructive mining. What's Macy's waiting for?
While over 80 other major jewelry retailers have stepped up to the task, Macy’s has yet to do the right thing.
Tagged with: no dirty gold, jewelry retailers, golden rules, jewelry, macys
Protests, resignations, and flawed EIS plague Newmont’s Conga gold mine in Peru
Opposition is stacking up higher and higher against Newmont’s $4.8 billion mega gold project in Peru. Here is a quick run down of things that are beginning to impact whether this project is longer feasible, or not.
Political -
Today the Deputy Minister of the Environment, Jose de Echave, resigned in protest. Echave said that the Humala government "lacks an adequate strategy for dealing with social conflict." He also raised concerns about the weakening on the Ministry Environment after being restructured to defer to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers
La Republica: Jose de Echave renuncio al viceministerio del ambiente
Washington Post / AP: Peru environment official resigns amid protests by peasants who fear mines will harm water
Tagged with: mining, no dirty gold, water pollution, newmont, international, peru, conga, yanacocha
Tell Kay and Jared Jewelers (owned by Signet) to say no to dirty gold from Pebble Mine
The world's greatest wild salmon fishery - in Alaska's Bristol Bay - is at risk! And, you can help.
Alaskans are asking Signet, the world's largest jewelry corporation to promise not to use gold from the proposed Pebble Mine - a massive copper gold mine that threatens the world's most valuable wild salmon fishery. Over fifty major jewelers have already promised.
Tagged with: bristol bay, jewelry retailers, bristol bay pledge, signet jewelers, kay jewelers, jared jewelers
Take 3 minutes: Help Protect Oregon’s Wild and Scenic Chetco River
The Wild and Scenic Chetco River is legendary for the beauty and clarity of its waters. And, it has whopping salmon and steelhead runs!
Although Congress protected the Chetco in 1988 by adding it to the National Wild and Scenic River System, the 1872 Mining Law gives mining preference over all other values and uses. Now proposals to suction dredge along much of this extroardinary river threatens allt he values the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act seeks to protect.
Tagged with: chetco river, oregon, national wild and scenic river, suction dredge mining
Newmont’s Conga mine brings major clean water problems
The proposed Conga Mine project, located in the Cajamarca and Celendín provinces in Northern Peru, sits just to the Northeast of Latin America’s largest gold mine, Yanacocha.
As with most mines in this region, water is a major issue with the Conga project.The campesino communities and larger more developed centers rely heavily of the water sources of the region.
It is because of this reliance, and gold mining’s checkered history of contaminating clean water sources, that many communities near the Conga project are protesting the mega mining project.
Tagged with: gold, newmont, peru, clean water, conga, latin america, yanacocha
Conga: Peru’s communities won’t trade clean water for Newmont’s mega gold mine
Peru is once again front and center in Latin America’s new gold rush. Gold is trading at record prices, and multinational mining corporations are developing at record speeds to firm their grip on the precious metal. This blitz, however, is bringing with it a renewed wave of social conflicts and community resistance to these mega mines. It is, in it’s simplest terms, between clean water and dirty gold.
One project making major headlines is Newmont’s Conga project is Northern Peru.
Tagged with: gold, no dirty gold, newmont, peru, water, conga, latin america, yanacocha, cerro quilish
Pebble Mine: another bad example!
The Pebble Limited Partnership profiled the Flambeau mine as a reclamation success story in its latest newsletter article.
What they don't mention about the mine is its on-going copper pollution. But, it's all over the recent news. "In the most recent tests, state records show that copper and zinc levels have exceeded state toxicity standards for surface waters, potentially threatening fish and other aquatic life."
Tagged with: bristol bay, pebble mine, pebble limited partnership
Dirty Gold Videos: customers start to send in video messages to Costco
Costco has tried to avoid any controversy when it comes to their gold products, but their customers won't let them. They refused to answer the over 1000 customer posts on their Facebook page. Then, when customers called the company directly, Costco failed to return a single call. Costco executives turned off their phones and sent customers directly to voicemails.
Costco is making two things clear: they do not feel accountable to their customers (many who make up the over 25,000 calling on Costco), and they are not moved by the thought of human rights abuses, environmental destruction, and unfair labor being associated with the gold they sell to you at their stores.
Tagged with: no dirty gold, golden rules, costco, video, take action, ndg
US Court: Communities can sue Rio Tinto for genocide and war crimes
Yesterday, communities in Papua New Guinea (PNG) received big news from the US Appeals Court. The court released a decision that will allow PNG communities to sue mining giant Rio Tinto for genocide and war crimes becasue of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals' decision to reverse a lower courts dismissal, that was in favor of Rio Tinto.
This development comes only months after the company had publicly expressed intent to reopen the controversial mine.
Tagged with: human rights, international, rio tinto, lawsuit, papua new guinea, bougainville, genocide
Banned by Apple: new iPhone app exposing the dark side of electronics
Photo: "Phone Story"
Last week Italian developer Molleindustria released a new iPhone app called “Phone Story”.
Why was this app different than the other 425,000 apps?
This app was a satirical game that allowed you to play through the entire supply chain of an iPhone.
Why did Apple ban this app?
Likely because it exposes the nastiest parts of what it takes to make our electronics.
The game starts in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Here you are in charge of mining for coltan, a critical element in smart phones. The kicker is, that many coltan mines in the eastern DRC have horrific histories of child labor, military and rebel violence, human rights abuses, and disastrous environmental impacts.
The game’s point is to highlight all the above, and judging by Apple’s reaction it highlighted it well. Within hours of the game’s release Apple had banned the app and removed it from its store.
Tagged with: dirty gold, conflict minerals, congo, drc, iphone, apple, electronics, coltan
Wikileaks cables reveal U.S. mining co. negligence in Ghana Cyanide spill
Youth Demonstrating at Yayaso
Photo: Ghana Chronicle
Wikileaks recently released a new batch of cables that expose Denver-based Newmont Mining’s negligence before and after a cyanide spill at their Ahafo gold mine on October 8 2009. The cables reveal that Government of Ghana went as far as to accuse Newmont of an attempted cover up, and criticize the company for a series of “blunders” following the spill.
What does this mean for Newmont, which is looking to push through another major mine in Ghana?
Tagged with: gold mining, dirty gold, newmont, ghana, displacement
Costco's customers flood Facebook to tell company NO to dirty gold.
[UPDATE with Press Release] Costco s Facebook page is flooded with messages from their customers asking Costo to sign on to the No Dirty Gold Campaign s Golden Rules . Here are a few from just the last hour:
"What does it cost in human health and conditions to save a few dollars on your gold jewelry? Think of the profits when you can proudly boast Fair Trade?? Walmart cheated-- Here's your edge." - Facebook user
"It is deplorable to support human rights violations. I will not shop for Jewelery at Costo until such time as it signs on to the No Dirty Gold Campaigns Golden Rules. I will not renew my membership unless Costco takes this action" - Facebook user
Costco, show me you care about human rights, ending child labor, and protecting the environment. Sign the Golden Rules! And then--here's where it gets tricky--FOLLOW THEM. (We'll find out if you don't.)" - Facebook user
Tagged with: gold, no dirty gold, golden rules, costco, social media, take action
No Dirty Gold Featured in Social Investment Forum Panel
Oxfam America and the Social Investment Forum presented a forum called "New Frontiers in NGO-Shareholder Collaborations: The No Dirty Gold Campaign" on March 27 in the Rayburn Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
Oxfam America CEO Ray Offenheiser keynoted the evening, which also featured a panel that was moderated by Oxfam America board member Bennett Freeman and featured Keith Slack of Oxfam America, Steve D'Esposito of Earthworks, Patrick Doherty of the New York City Comptroller's Office, and Peggy Jo Donahue of Jewelers of America.
Tagged with: no dirty gold, oxfam america, investment, social responsibility
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