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Western Mining Corporation first developed the Olympic Dam (Roxby Downs) Uranium Mine in 1983, despite strong and sustained opposition from Kokatha and Arabunna Traditional Owners and environmentalists. BHP Billiton purchased the underground Olympic Dam mine in 2005. In May 2009 BHP Billiton released a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) detailing plans to turn Olympic Dam into a massive open pit mine[1]. This new open pit mine is intended to operate alongside the existing underground mine and to increase uranium production from 4,000 to 19,000 tonnes per year and copper production from 200,000 to 750,000 tonnes a year[2]. Read the rest of this entry »
POLLUTION FEARS: WANFA chair Della Rae Morrison says over 140 overseas mining companies mining for deposits all around WA are poisoning country and water. Picture: Alf Sorbello, Source: PerthNow
THE human and environmental impacts of the world’s largest mining company will be the focus of protest and attention at BHP Billiton’s annual general meeting today in Perth as Aboriginal leaders speak out.
Members of the Australian Nuclear Free Alliance (ANFA) and the Western Australian Nuclear Free Alliance (WANFA) are attending BHP Billiton’s annual general meeting in Perth today to raise issues directly with the board and shareholders about conduct of uranium mining developments on Aboriginal land.
Richard Evans, Koara traditional owner of the proposed Yeelirrie Uranium deposit in WA, said: “This is not the first time we have explained to BHP Billiton that Uranium mining at Yeelirrie is unwanted.
“BHP Billiton are not talking with the right land owners, they are going through the back door with consultation. Read the rest of this entry »
Other Sides to the Story: Threatening Lives, the Environment and People’s Future
An Alternative Annual Report on BHP Billiton with case studies from across the world Case studies questioning BHP Billiton’s record on human rights, transparency and ecological justice.
DOWNLOAD HERE
BHP Billiton operates the Mozal aluminium smelter located 17 kilometres from Maputo, in a densely populated area in the outskirts of Matola city. Officially opened on 29 September 2000, the joint venture includes BHP Billiton (47.1 per cent), Mitsubishi Corporation (25 per cent), International Finance Corporation (IFC) (24 per cent), and the Government of Mozambique (3.9 per cent). Read the rest of this entry »
BHP Billiton holds seven mining concessions covering 355,000 hectares in Central Kalimantan[1]. The company is also exclusive marketing agent for PT Arutmin Indonesia, which operates six mining locations in South Kalimantan.
The company announced it would sell off the Central Kalimantan project in late 2009, but reversed the decision earlier this year. Then, in March 2010, BHP Billiton announced an agreement to create a new joint venture for its Indonesian Coal Project with a subsidiary of PT Adaro Energy TBK. Adaro will hold a 25% interest in the joint venture with BHP Billiton retaining 75%[2]. Read the rest of this entry »
Home to at least 537 species of hard coral mollusks and 1,074 species of reef fishes – with 104 new reef fish species identified since 2002 – the Raja Ampat marine environment is the “bulls-eye of marine biodiversity on the planet”. Above ground, the Raja Ampat archipelago is also a biological hotspot. The region’s biogeography, isolation and relatively intact ecosystems have resulted in high levels of regional endemism (species found in a region are specific to that area). The richness and uniqueness of this area’s biology has earned it a place at the top of the global short list of UNESCO World Heritage marine sites most deserving of protection, a claim supported by local indigenous groups, local non-government organisations, international non-government environmental organisations, and the Indonesian government. Yet, this archipelago is threatened by past, current and potential future nickel mining from within its borders.
The iconic Wayag archipelago located between Gag Island and Manuran Island in the Raja Ampat islands. The Wayag Archipelago is threatened by mining. photo: Anon.
The Ok Tedi River, a tributary of the Fly River, is located in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Sourced in the rugged central mountain range of PNG, its water eventually flows – via the Fly River Delta – into the Gulf of Papua to the north of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The Ok Tedi Copper and Gold Mine is situated on Mount Fubilan at the source of this river, and its practice of dumping mine waste directly into the river system has made it the centre of international controversy since the 90s, when it was the subject of four lawsuits. Meanwhile, the people living along the Ok Tedi and Fly Rivers still find it difficult to feed their families due to the effects of this mine waste on food security.
Threatening Lives, the Environment and the People’s Future
Lodged between two protected areas – the Pujada Bay Protected Seascape and Mt. Hamiguitan Range, a proclaimed wildlife sanctuary – Macambol is not the most logical site for a large-scale nickel laterite mining project. However, with the Philippine government aggressively promoting mining this area is under threat, along with the protected areas themselves. Read the rest of this entry »
The Ekati Diamond Mine, owned and operated by BHP Billiton, is located 350 kilometres north of the city of Yellowknife in Canada’s Northwest Territories. Read the rest of this entry »
