Mining

Brazil: ‘Dalai Lama Of Rainforest’ Faces Death Threats

August 19, 2014 Fabiola Ortiz, www.ipsnews.net Resist! Brazil, Environment, Indigenous Rights, Mining

Davi Kopenawa, the leader of the Yanomami people in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest, who is internationally renowned for his struggle against encroachment on indigenous land by landowners and illegal miners, is now fighting a new battle – this time against death threats received by him and his family. “In May, they [miners] told me that he wouldn’t make it to the end of the year alive,” Armindo Góes, 39, one of Kopenawa’s fellow indigenous activists in the fight for the rights of the Yanomami people, told IPS. Kopenawa, 60, is Brazil’s most highly respected indigenous leader. The Yanomami shaman and spokesman is known around the world as the “Dalai Lama of the Rainforest” and has frequently participated in United Nations meetings and other international events. “The landowners and the garimpeiros have plenty of money to kill an Indian. The Amazon jungle belongs to us. She protects us from the heat; the rainforest is essential to all of us and for our children to live in peace.” -- Davi Kopenawa He has won awards like the Global 500 Prize from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). His voice has drawn global figures like King Harald of Norway – who visited him in 2013 – or former British footballer David Beckham – who did so in March – to the 96,000-sq-km territory which is home to some 20,000 Yanomami.

Mt. Polley Disaster Shows Need To End Excavation Economy

August 14, 2014 Harsha Walia, www.rabble.ca Resist! Canada, Environment, Mining, pollution

The Mount Polley mining disaster in B.C. has barely been sustained in national news, let alone break in international news. This is despite the fact that mining experts are cautioning that the incident is the largest mining disaster in Canadian, possibly even global, history. Where it has made news, the incident is exceptionalized as a single accident, a failure, or the incompetence of one company. The notorious Canadian mining industry, actively supported by provincial and federal governments, has largely escaped public and media scrutiny. Mount Polley disaster Two weeks ago, the dam of the tailings pond breached from the Mount Polley mine near Likely, on Secwepemc territory, releasing 2.5 billion gallons of contaminated water and 4.5 million cubic metres of metals-laden fine sand into Hazeltine Creek, Polley Lake and Quesnel Lake. A state of emergency has been declared in the Cariboo Region, a water-use ban is in place, and federal and Indigenous fisheries have shut down salmon fishing. The long-term impacts are severe: about 2.4 million people -- 63 per cent of the province's population -- live along the Fraser River in 32 downstream communities and Metro Vancouver.

Communal Lands: Theater Of Operations For Counterinsurgency

August 12, 2014 Renata Bessi, Santiago Navarro F. and Translated Miriam Taylor, www.truth-out.org Create! Indigenous Rights, Mexico, Mining, School of Americas, Surveillance, Violence

In 2006, a team of geographers from the University of Kansas carried out a series of mapping projects of communal lands in southern Mexico's Northern Sierra Mountains. Coordinated by Peter Herlihy and Geoffrey B. Demarest, a US lieutenant colonel, the objective was to achieve strategic military and geopolitical goals of particular interest for the United States. The objective was to incorporate indigenous territories into the transnational corporate model of private property, either by force or through agreements. Demarest's essential argument is that peace cannot exist without private property. "The Bowman Expeditions are taking places with the counterinsurgency logic of the United States, and we reported them in 2009. These expeditions were part of research regarding the geographic information that indigenous communities in the Sierra Juarez possess. The researchers hid the fact that they were being financed by the Pentagon. And we believe that this research was a type of pilot project to practice how they would undertake research in other parts of the world in relation to indigenous towns and their communal lands," said Aldo Gonzales Rojas in an interview with Truthout. A director for the Secretary of Indigenous Affairs in the state of Oaxaca, Rojas ensures that indigenous laws are being instituted and applied correctly in the state.

First Nations Protesters Block Workers’ Access To Mine

August 11, 2014 Amy Judd, www.globalnews.ca Resist! Canada, First Nations, Mining, pollution, Protest

The disaster at the Mount Polley Mine will have long-term consequences for years to come across the whole of the mining industry but specifically for Imperial Metals – the owners of the Cariboo mine and a major resource company in B.C. Earlier this week the company took a huge hit on its stock price and on Friday, near Dease Lake at the Red Chris Mine, First Nations members blocked access to employees. Red Chris is a five-hundred million dollar gold operation that has been front and center in B.C.’s resource sector for a decade. On Friday when construction crews began arriving for work, finishing before the mine goes into full production, they were greeted by protesters who demanded a halt to the work. The company has yet to respond. The disastrous tailings pond breach is also sparking concerns about the Mount Polley Mine owner’s involvement in another project. The Ruddock Creek Mining Corporation is a subsidiary of Imperial Metals. It wants to operate an underground zinc-lead mine 100 kilometres northwest of Revelstoke.

Grand Chief Compares Disaster To Exxon Valdez

August 8, 2014 Liam Scanlon, www.vancouverobserver.org Educate! Environment, Indigenous Rights, Mining

The Shuswap Tribal Nations Council and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs condemned the inaction of the BC Provincial Government and the Imperial Metals Company surrounding the "disastrous breach" of the Mount Polley Mine Tailing Pond. "Like the Exxon Valdez, Mount Polley will be synonymous with one of the most disastrous environmental events in British Columbia," he said, adding that both events were preventable. The collapse of the Mount Polley dam Monday morning caused 5 million cubic metres of fine sediment and toxic effluent to flow into the Hazeltine Creek and connecting waterways. The surrounding area, the STNC confirms, is in a state of emergency and in need of immediate action. STNC said it had, over years, criticized Imperial Metals for a lack of adequate safety procedures, and that the company ignored its agreement to contact surrounding First nation communities when the disaster did strike.

Indigenous Defeat Gold Mine In Guatemala Court

August 3, 2014 Christin Sandberg, www.intercontinentalcry.org Resist! Guatemala, Indigenous Rights, Land, Law, Mining

A Guatemalan court ruled in favor of the indigenous people of the municipality of Sipacapa over transnational mining in the area. The court says the Guatemalan government must respect the right to information and consultation with the local population before granting any kind of mining permits. A Guatemalan court ruled in favor of the indigenous people of the municipality of Sipacapa. The court says the Guatemalan government must respect the right to information and consultation with the local population before granting any kind of mining permits, according to international conventions. As a consequence the mining permit named ”Los Chocoyos” is illegal, and should be withdrawn. ”This judgment states the obligation of the Guatemalan government to respect the indigenous people’s right to information and consultation before granting mining permits in indigenous territories, in accordance with both United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and International Labor Organization Convention 169. Otherwise they are illegal,” said Esperanza Pérez, from the Mayan Council of Sipacapa during a press conference held July 23

Lawsuits Seek To Stop Work At Coal Mines

July 8, 2014 Matthew Brown, www.helenair.com Resist! Coal, Environment, Law, Mining

Coal industry representatives say lawsuits against mines in three Western states could have consequences across the U.S. as environmentalists seek changes in how mining is approved on federally owned reserves. In civil cases unfolding in Montana, Colorado and New Mexico, the group WildEarth Guardians asserts coal companies benefited from lax oversight by federal regulators. The group says the U.S. Department of Interior approved mining plans without enough public involvement, and gave little heed to the pollution caused by digging, shipping and burning coal. The group asked the courts to stop mining until the plans are re-done. The cases involve the Spring Creek mine in Montana, the San Juan coal mine in New Mexico and the Colowyo and Trapper mines in Colorado. Combined, they employed about 1,200 workers and produced 27 million tons of coal last year, according to federal records. Attorneys for the federal government denied the environmentalists’ claims and have asked the courts to dismiss the cases. More detailed briefs from the government are due in coming weeks. A fourth case involving several mines in Wyoming was voluntarily dismissed.

Solidarity With People Of Cajamarca, Peru

July 6, 2014 Staff, www.afgj.org Resist! Environment, Mining, Peru

The Alliance for Global Justice (AfGJ) condemns the preventive incarceration of Gregorio “Goyo” Santos Guerrero, President of the Region of Cajamarca, Peru (analogous to a US governor). Goyo’s election in 2010 was the result of a mass mobilization of the region’s voters. It reflected a popular struggle against the proposed Conga gold mine involving an alliance of miners, teachers, farmers, unionists and indigenous communities. These maintain the gold mine will export not only gold but mega-profits, with little social investment or sustainable economic development. They also point out that the mine’s best jobs are being given to outsiders, while there are few local financial benefits. Cajamarca is the second poorest region in Peru.

Peru – Mining & Human Rights Defenders

July 2, 2014 Front Line Defenders, www.frontlinedefenders.org Resist! Environment, Human Rights, Mining, Peru

Front Line Defenders visited Peru in February 2014 and travelled extensively in the Cajamarca and Cusco regions investigating ongoing conflict between mining companies and indigenous and campesino rights defenders. Front Line Defenders has found that HRDs in Peru often live and work in a very tense situation and have been the direct target of intimidation, death threats, physical attacks, surveillance, stigmatisation, smear campaigns, and judicial harassment. All these documented instances appear to be directly related to legitimate and peaceful work carried out by the HRDs concerned, in particular in supporting the local communities opposed to mining projects and their impact on their environment, territory and livelihood.

The Fight To Ban Gold Mining And Save El Salvador’s Water Supply

June 30, 2014 Julia Paley, www.fpif.org Resist! El Salvador, Mining, pollution, Water

“For us, the mine is death.” Those words, spoken by the president of a rural grassroots organization, capture the intensity and urgency of the struggle against mining in El Salvador. Mining has reaped devastating consequences in El Salvador. Toxins from mining operations have made 90 percent of El Salvador’s water undrinkable. Lung and kidney diseases run rampant among miners. Community leaders and activists who resist are hounded and cut down. The 15-minute documentary Gold or Water: The Struggle Against Metallic Mining in El Salvador dramatically illustrates Salvadorans’ passionate efforts to ward off mining from aggressive multinational firms. You can watch it in full here: The film focuses on the fight against Pacific Rim, a Canadian/Australian company that seeks to extract gold near the head of the Lempa River, from which nearly 70 percent of El Salvadorans get their water. Opposition is so strong that two successive governments have declared a moratorium on metallic mining. Over 62 percent of the population supports a permanent ban.

What’s The Best Way To Stop Extraction? Delay, Delay, Delay

May 30, 2014 Bryan Farrell, www.wagingnonviolence.org Strategize! Environment, Extraction, Mining, Organizing

The knock on environmental protests is that they oftentimes only appear to delay the inevitable — be it forcing a coal-fired power plant to shut down for just one day or forcing the construction of a pipeline to be rerouted. But what if those delays really were more than symbolic victories? What if they amounted to something really powerful that actually imposed serious costs on industry? Well, that’s exactly what a new study says. According to researchers from the University of Queensland, Harvard Kennedy School and Clark University, conflict has become a major contributor to the cost of projects in the mining, oil and gas industries. The researchers looked at 50 planned major extractive projects and found that local communities launched some sort of “project blockade” in half of them, leading to 15 percent of the projects being suspended or abandoned. “There is a popular misconception that local communities are powerless in the face of large corporations and governments,” said Daniel Franks, Deputy Director of UQ’s Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining. “Our findings show that community mobilization can be very effective at raising the costs to companies.”

First Nations Vow To Fight Copper-Gold Mine

May 21, 2014 Andrea Klassen, www.theprovince.com Resist! Indigenous Rights, Mining, Protest

The chiefs of two First Nations say they’re prepared to take legal action to block the City of Kamloops from annexing a copper-gold mine that would encroach on their traditional territory. Chiefs Shane Gottfriedson of the Tk’emlups Indian Band and Ron Ignace, who heads the Skeetchestn Indian Band, said in a letter to the Ministry of Community, Sport and Cultural Development that they’re opposed to the boundary expansion to accommodate New Gold’s (TSX:NGD) New Afton Mine. “We told them in no uncertain terms that we would oppose it, that we would ask them to respect our aboriginal title and rights and not expand the boundaries of the city,” Ignace said. “We also told the city, ‘If you’re going to do that, then you’d better get into revenue-sharing with us.’ And the city said, ‘We will not share one cent with you.’ So what benefit is it to us?” Kamloops wants to annex the mine to the west in order to lower its heavy-industrial tax rate, which Domtar (TSX:DTC) and other industrial companies have complained is about double what they would pay in other parts of the province. However, Ignace said the city’s solution to its taxation issues threatens the bands’ revenue-sharing agreements with the mine.

Conflict With Local Communities Hits Mining and Oil Companies Where It Hurts

May 20, 2014 Stephen Leahy, www.ipsnews.net Resist! Mining, Peru

Conflicts with local communities over mining, oil and gas development are costing companies billions of dollars a year. One corporation alone reported a six billion dollar cost over a two-year period according to the first-ever peer-reviewed study on the cost of conflicts in the extractive sector. The Pascua Lama gold mining project in Chile has cost Canada’s Barrick Gold 5.4 billion dollars following 10 years of protests and irregularities. No gold has ever been mined and the project has been suspended on court order. And in Peru, the two billion dollar Conga copper mining project was suspended in 2011 after protests broke out over the projected destruction of four high mountain lakes. The U.S.-based Newmont Mining Co, which also operates the nearby Yanacocha mine, has now built four reservoirs which, according to its plan, are to be used instead of the lakes. “Communities are not powerless. Our study shows they can organise and mobilise, which results in substantial costs to companies,” said co-author Daniel Franks of Australia’s University of Queensland, who is also deputy director of the Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining. “Unfortunately conflicts can also result in bloodshed and loss of life,” Franks told Tierramérica. The study is based on 45 in-depth, confidential interviews with high-level officials in the extractive (energy and mining) industries with operations around the world.

Mexican Landowners Challenge Goldcorp On Eve Of Annual General Meeting

May 2, 2014 MiningWatch Canada, www.youtube.com Resist! Mexico, Mining

On the eve of Goldcorp's Annual General Meeting in Vancouver, Mexican landowners are challenging company assertions that it is "expeditiously" seeking to renew a land use agreement in order to restart operations at its Los Filos mine in Guerrero, Mexico. The peaceful blockade in Carrizalillo, Guerrero, on community lands in front of the Los Filos mine site, began on the morning of April 1st. The first talks since the mine was shut down did not take place until April 24th, and ended in frustration over the company's apparent lack of interest or preparation to negotiate. The community is seeking better conditions in their land use contract including economic, health and environmental issues arising from the massive open-pit gold and silver operation less than a kilometre from where they live.

US Workers Were Once Massacred Fighting For The Protections Being Rolled Back Today

May 2, 2014 Erik Loomis, www.billmoyers.com Educate! Labor, Mining

On April 20, 1914, the Colorado National Guard and a private militia employed by the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company (CF&I) opened fire on a tent camp of striking coal miners at Ludlow, Colo. At least 19 people died in the camp that day, mostly women and children. A century later, the bloody incident might seem a relic of the distant past, but the Ludlow Massacre retains a powerful, disturbing and growing relevance to the present. After a century of struggling against powerful interests to make American workplaces safer and corporations responsive to their employees, the US is rapidly returning to the conditions of rampant exploitation that contributed to Ludlow. That’s especially true in mining, where a coordinated union-busting campaign, the corporate capture of federal regulatory agencies, and widespread environmental degradation leave coal miners unsafe and mining communities struggling to deal with the massive environmental impact of modern mining practices. A century ago, miners led the fight for workers’ rights. The Gilded Age of the late 19th and early 20th centuries was a period of great upheaval for the American working class.

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