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News Archive - November 2001 to April 2002 The following page contains an archive of news items from the period November 2001 to April 2002 that are relevant to mineral resources law and policy. Return to the Latest News...
News Archive - November 2001 to April 2002 Title: Climate
body chief sees declining use of oil, coal Global energy consumption will shift rapidly towards renewable sources as concerns of global warming rise and high oil prices fuel a shift to new sources, the new chief of the U.N. climate advisory body said. Such sources included wind and solar power as well as fuel cells that use hydrogen to create electricity with no harmful emissions. Title: EU
environment policy puts focus on soil quality Soil is the next big green challenge for the European Union, the EU's executive Commission, the body which drafts most of the bloc's environmental legislation, said. Over the next two years it will draft policies on industrial emissions that contaminate soil, procedures for disposing of mining waste and a revision of EU sewage regulations. Title: Indonesia
seeks solution on open-pit mining ban Indonesia Minister for Eastern Areas Manuel Kaisiepo says he will seek a solution to problems caused by a potential ban on open pit mining deemed to endanger forests. While thus far the statute has not generally been enforced, concerns about it have caused several prospective foreign mining investors to withdraw from Indonesia or hold back on development plans, the sources say. See also earlier related articles. Title: South
African Government Promotes Mine Safety Minerals and Energy Minister Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka has dispatched the Chief Inspector of Mines to visit mines that have high accident rates to enforce compliance with mine health and safety standards. The government's new strategy on mine health and safety standards is meant to ensure that mines comply with the standards, regular 'unannounced' inspections and start closing down mines that have shown no serious regard for human life. Title: Trust
is Being Created for Asbestos Victims in South Africa Prospective trustees, lawyers and community representatives have put the wheels in motion for a trust to be set up in SA to compensate more than 7500 asbestos mining victims awaiting hard-won compensation from London-listed company, Cape plc. In terms of the settlement agreement, Cape had agreed to pay £21m into a trust fund to be established in South Africa. Title: Image
Change for Mining Companies Large mining companies have appealed for governments worldwide to set minimum social and environmental standards for the sector in an effort to improve their image with investors. An independent working group, backed by 28 mining companies, published the results of a two-year sustainable development study in March. One of the key recommendations was the creation of an intergovernmental forum on mining at the world summit on sustainable development in South Africa in September. Title: Economic
Forum Ends in Kumasi in Ghana Participants at the Ashanti Economic Forum which ended on Thursday have called on the district assemblies, Chamber of Mines and mining companies to constitute technical committees to identify and analyse problems connected with land use and alternative sources of livelihood for mining communities. Title: Report
cites $54 bln in wasteful US gov't projects The U.S. government
could save $54 billion over five years by cutting spending for coal and
nuclear technologies, road construction in forests and more than 70 other
programs that are wasteful and damage the environment, interest groups
said yesterday. For instance, the 1872 Mining Law that allows mining companies
to remove minerals from publicly owned lands without paying royalties
to the government. Green Scissors
proposal The Green Scissors 2002 report can be downloaded from: http://www.greenscissors.org/publications/gs2002411.pdf Title: Riot
Police Fire Teargas At Former Ramcoz Workers in Zambia Riot police yesterday fired teargas at former Roan Antelope Mining Corporation of Zambia (RAMCOZ) miners and their spouses demanding payment of terminal benefits and salary arrears. The miners were demanding payment of four months salary arrears, Christmas bonus and terminal benefits because the mine was not operational. Title: Public
Debates Alberta, Canada Wetland Protection Plan A government plan protecting a Northern Alberta wetland was debated at an open house this week after environmentalists said the province is ignoring its own rules over a billion-barrel oil-sands project. TrueNorth Energy is proposing to mine in a protected wetland near McClelland Lake, about 450 kilometres northeast of Edmonton in Alberta, Canada. Title: The
Onrushing Train of Minerals Nationalisation is Almost Upon Us (South Africa) Minerals and energy minister Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka's department has revised and renamed the Minerals Development Bill drafted in 2000, which would vest the country's vast mineral resources in the state. Departmental spokesperson Kanyo Gqulu insists that the bill is not about nationalising mineral rights but about levelling the playing field to allow access to new entrants into the industry, which he says previously excluded the black majority. Title: Sand
Dealers Seek Government Protection in Nigeria Sand dealers in Ifo, Ogun State, have called on the government to give them adequate protection in the operation of their business activities. They also want stiffer penalties meted out to illegal miners in Nigeria. Both the state and federal governments are losing billions of naira due to the activities of the illegal miners. Title: Congo
mining contracts to be reviewed The Democratic Republic of Congo's government and opposition groups have called for a review of the way lucrative mining contracts were awarded. The deals were concluded after the mineral-rich country was plunged into war six years ago. The new resolution, adopted by delegates to Congo peace talks in South Africa, will now assess whether those contracts led to "illicit financial gain" Title: Mining
disease tops one million in China The world's largest mining industry has suffered a double setback after experts announced that China has more than one million cases of the incurable mining disease silicosis. The disease leads to lung scarring, breathing difficulties, heart attacks and sometimes death, although it can take as long as 10 years to become noticeable. The new law to be implemented on May 1 will hope to address the damaging statistics associated with the mining industry and will require employers to make workplaces safe and provide worker insurance. Title: Mining Books Released: MMSD
Project Explores Sustainability In early March, IISD released two outputs from the Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development (MMSD) project North American regional group. "Learning from the Future" (Adobe PDF) looks at four possible futures for the mining/minerals industry. The thought- provoking scenarios highlight the potential promise and the potential despair in the industry's future and explore what the years ahead could hold for sustainable development. "Industry in Transition" (Adobe PDF) delivers a thorough profile of the North American industry, outlining the challenges and opportunities on the path to sustainability. Title: Ontario,
Canada Mining Environment Policy The Ontario Mining Association (OMA) supports the goal of environmentally sustainable economic development, which ensures that the utilisation of resources and the environment today does not damage prospects for their use by future generations. The OMA requires its members to act responsibly to mitigate any adverse environmental impacts arising from their activities. Title: Montana
Companies Agree to Clean-Up Mining companies have agreed to pay $87 million to build and run a plant to treat highly toxic water that is rising in an open-pit copper mine in Butte. The companies, Atlantic Richfield Company and Montana Resources, pledged the money in a consent decree with the government that was filed in Federal District Court. The mine, Berkeley Pit, is one of the largest bodies of contaminated water in the United States. Title: UN
Mission in Sierra Leone Extended for Six Months Some 17,000 UN peacekeepers will remain in Sierra Leone for another six months, following the Security Council's decision on Thursday to extend the mission till 30 September, UN News reported. The Council said it was "particularly important" that key government personnel be sent to the diamond mining areas and for the army to be deployed to the border. Title: ANC
Cronies in South Africa Diamond Rights Row Top businessmen with links to the ruling party have been embroiled in a row involving diamonds with members of a disadvantaged Northern Cape community. Community members are making an effort to reclaim their mineral rights from a black economic empowerment mining company, New Diamond Corporation (NDC), which they accuse of acquiring them "illegally". Title: 190
Miners Apply for Mining License in Zamfara, Nigeria Gusau Zamfara Ministry of Environment and Solid Minerals Development has received 190 applications from prospective miners for permission to mine minerals in the state. He stated that as part of steps taken by the ministry to check illegal mining activities in the state, the ministry's officials would soon undertake a state-wide tour to sensitise the public on the dangers associated with illegal mining. Title: Relax
Kenya Mining Laws, Urges Canadian Envoy The Government has been urged to relax rules on exploration and mining of natural resources in the country. The Canadian Commercial Counsellor and Regional Trade Commissioner said Canadians willing to mine titanium in Kwale have met many obstacles unlike in other Sub-Saharan countries. He said Canadian mining firms are "the best in the world and meet all required human and environmental standards". See related
article. Title: Inco
ordered to clean up polluted properties in Canada Inco Ltd. was ordered last week to clean up 25 homes polluted by its nickel refinery in Port Colborne, Ontario, in an ongoing dispute that has pitted the mining giant against angry residents of the small town on the shores of Lake Erie. The orders compel Inco to clean up the properties in the town's Rodney Street area which the province said have "unacceptable nickel levels in the soil". Title: Kenya
Government Issues Conditions for Titanium Mining Titanium mining in Kwale District should only be carried out after health conditions for the local people are met. Environment Minister Joseph Kamotho yesterday insisted that any exploitation of the minerals must benefit the locals instead of foreign investors. He said no foreign firm should be allowed to rip off locals. He said Tiomin Resources Inc of Canada whose subsidiary, Tiomin Kenya is pursuing mining titanium in Kwale, must ensure that residents are properly resettled. See related article. Title: Kimberley
Process Reaches Breakthrough On Certification Negotiations in Ottawa on requiring certificates of origin for diamonds -- the so-called Kimberley Process -- reached a breakthrough Wednesday, following three days of talks. The goal of the plan is to prevent illicit diamonds sales from funding wars in Africa. "We believe that we are ready to launch the scheme," said group chairman Abbey Chikane, adding that an international certification plan should be in place by the end of the year, as soon as some technical points are worked out. Concern that the system, which forbids signatories importing stones from nonsignatories, would violate World Trade Organization rules seems to have calmed, Chikane said. Final Details on the plan are scheduled for consideration at a ministerial meeting in November in Geneva (Associated Press/MSNBC.com, March 20). For the full article Title: Fight
against war diamonds earns Nobel nomination Three members of the
U.S. Congress have nominated an Ottawa-based organization to share in
the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for its work against so-called "blood
diamonds" in Africa. Partnership Africa Canada was nominated along
with U.K.-based Global Witness for efforts to end the trade in conflict
diamonds that has helped fund wars and human-rights atrocities in Sierra
Leone, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Title: In
Twist, Idahoans Fight Toxic Cleanup The US federal government wants to spend big money in the Idaho Panhandle — as much as $1.3 billion over several decades — to clean up toxic mining waste in the Coeur d'Alene River Basin. Convinced that the government's plan is a huge overreaction and that designation of the area as a Superfund site would frighten away tourists and new businesses, many towns have joined a lawsuit to block expansion of the cleanup. Title: New Canadian parks and reserves
protected from mining! Ontario’s 378 new parks and reserves created through the Ontario’s Living Legacy (OLL) plan have just received some good news. There will be no further mineral exploration permitted within parks and conservation reserves. Title: U.N.
Assembly Calls On States To Finalize International Diamond Certification
Plan In a resolution adopted without a vote, the U.N. General Assembly yesterday urged member countries to resolve outstanding issues connected to the so-called "Kimberley Process" on the international certification of diamonds and to implement the plan as quickly as possible to help curb the ongoing illegal trade of diamonds used to fund conflicts. The resolution also seeks to protect the legitimate diamond industry, particularly in countries that depend on the industry for their socio-economic development. Read the full article. Title: Mining
Act to be Reviewed in Kenya The Government will prepare a mineral policy and undertake a complete review of the Mining Act. The 2002 2008 plan says the Government will carry out environmental hazard mapping, rehabilitate disused mines and quarries, enact occupational health legislation, promote preventive health education and train miners on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and related activities. Title: Battle
for Oil-rich Canadian Island The Haida Indians of Queen Charlotte Island off the northern Pacific Ocean coast of Canada have begun a major court battle that could result in significant changes to land claims in the country. If the courts agree, it will force the government to involve the Haida in every level of land and resource planning. The island is rich in natural resources such as oil and forest. The full news article can be viewed here. Title: Australia
denies deal with US risks Kyoto pact Australia said a bilateral agreement with the United States on climate change would not undermine the international Kyoto treaty to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The Australian government is under pressure from the carbon-intensive industries like mining to back away from the pact which commits developed nations to cut emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, by an average of 5.2 percent from 1990 levels by 2012. Read the full article. Title:
Mining Firms
to Enjoy Favourable Tax Concessions in Zambia Mining companies involved in the production of copper and cobalt will now enjoy the favourable tax concessions similar to those offered to Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) and Mopani Copper Mines (MCM). The development is meant to level the playing field in the mining industry to enable it to contribute positively to Zambia's economic growth. To read the full article. Title: Waxman
Cites Industry Access to DOE On Clean Air Rules, Letter Lists Campaign
Donations, Meetings Congressional Democrats yesterday stepped up their criticism of the Bush administration's handling of energy policy, complaining that the Department of Energy conferred almost exclusively with industry officials and campaign contributors in formulating clean air enforcement strategy. Read the full article. Title:
“Galamsey”
Operators Urged to Licence in Ghana The Minister of Mines, Mr. Kwadwo Adjei-Darko has entreated illegal mining operators popularly known as "Galamseys" to stop their illicit activities and register as small scale miners. This, he said, would create an enabling environment for the government to protect and sustain forestry and its environs. The minister assured that any activity that would have a negative impact on the environment would be addressed appropriately. To read the full article. Title: Gems
used to finance conflict in Angola Angolan rebel leader Jonas Savimbi funded his long-running conflict with the state through the illicit trade in so-called "blood diamonds." Diamonds have been used to finance wars elsewhere in Africa, the world's poorest continent, or have been the cause of fighting to control lucrative mining areas. Read the full article. Title: Bush
Proposing to Shift Burden of Toxic Cleanups to Taxpayers Faced with dwindling reserves in the huge account that gave the Superfund waste cleanup program its name, the Bush administration has decided to designate fewer contaminated sites for restoration and to shift the bulk of the costs from industry to taxpayers. For years Congress has failed to reach agreement on reauthorizing the tax on industry that used to be the source of money for the Superfund, which was founded in 1980 under the slogan "the polluter pays." The trust fund used the special corporate taxes to clean up contamination at so-called orphan sites, or those where the responsible party could not be identified or could not pay, as well as for recalcitrant companies and emergency action . Under pressure from the chemical and oil industries, Congress let the corporate taxes expire in 1995. Without them, the trust fund dwindled, from a high of $3.8 billion in 1996 to a projected $28 million next year. The Superfund sites include many former mining operations such as the two sites being considered by the EPA for addition this year. See the full article. Title: Mining
companies to seek minimum social standards Large mining companies are to appeal for governments worldwide to set minimum social and environmental standards for the sector in an effort to improve their image with investors. Title: Indonesia
to issue rules to ease mining in forests Indonesia will issue
new rules to reduce restrictions on mining in forests in a move aimed
at boosting investment, a senior mines and energy official said on Friday.
"We will issue
new rules on mining in the forest. We are aware foreign investors are
confused about overlapping regulation but we will solve the problem,"
secretary general of Mines And Energy ministry Djoko Darmono told reporters. For the full news item...... See the related news article announcing the withdrawl of BHP Billiton and Falconbridge from the Gag Island Nickel Project in Indonesia due to moves by the Indonesian government to protect forests in the area. Title: Mining
executives rate the investment climate of jurisdictions around the world:
Ontario and Quebec top the international rankings The Fraser Institute - 18 December 2001. Vancouver, BC - Attractive geology is not enough to guarantee mining investment, with policy attractiveness playing an important role in decision-making, according to mining executives surveyed in the fifth Annual Survey of Mining Companies by The Fraser Institute, a Canadian economic think tank. The Annual Surveys of Mining Companies for 1998/1999, 1999/2000, 2000/2001, and 2001/2002 are available for download as Adobe PDF's. Title: Newsflash:
Germany plans to halve raw material and energy consumption by 2020 The German Government has announced new plans to halve the 1990 or 1994 levels of energy and raw materials consumption by the year 2020 and double the percentage of renewable energy consumption by the year 2010. Speaking in Berlin on December 19 at the presentation of a draft national sustainability strategy entitled "Prospects for Germany" Chancellery Minister of State Hans Martin Bury said: "With 21 indicators for sustainable development we are marking the path for a secure future for Germany in the 21st century." For the full news item..... Title: UN
court goes green BBC News, November 26th, 2001. The rights of victims of environmental disasters worldwide are to be formally recognised by the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague on Monday. It is the first time a court will give legitimacy to environmental disputes between individuals and organisations in an international context. Until now there has been no global forum for the victims of environmental disasters to seek damages, such as those in Romania and Hungary who suffered as a result of last year's cyanide spill from an Australian mining company based in northern Romania. Others have had to wait more than a decade for their claims to be handled, like the relatives of the thousands in Bhopal, India, who died after the chemical spill at the US-owned Union Carbide plant in 1984. The full article is available. Also, see the MRF Law > Related Links page for further information on environmental dispute resolution by the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Title: Enforcement
of mine pollution laws weak and getting weaker: Paltry
fines and inadequate inspections let companies off the hook Vancouver, 13 December 2001. B.C. mining operations are rarely inspected by provincial government staff, and in the few cases where environmental infractions are discovered the resulting fines are so low as to have almost no impact on curbing pollution, a new report says. The full report, 'Undermining the Law', is also available. Title: EU
unveils new law to deter industrial accidents Planet Ark, 11 December 2001. BRUSSELS - The European Commission yesterday unveiled tighter pan-European rules aimed at preventing industrial accidents involving dangerous substances. The new rules, which will apply throughout the 15-nation European Union, amend the so called Seveso II directive of 1996, a law named after a 1976 disaster at a chemical plant in Seveso, Italy. The law includes measures aimed at improving safety measures for so-called "tailings ponds," which are used to store highly polluted water from mining activities. Further information is available from the European Commission - DG Environment -Chemical Accident Prevention, Preparedness and Response page. Title: Officials
to Shift Mining Focus in US New York Times - December
9th, 2001. - The nation's mining industry can expect a more favorable
working climate, Bush administration officials have told the Northwest
Mining Association. The Bush administration promised to work with the
industry to soften regulations approved in the final days of the Clinton
administration, and reinvigorate mineral exploration in national forests
while promoting environmental stewardship. Title:
European
Parliament backs coal and nuclear power Edie Weekly Summary,
November 23th, 2001. A non-binding resolution passed by the European Parliament
has underlined the need to keep nuclear and coal power options in Europe’s
mix of energy resources. Title: Commission
takes one step closer to fulfilment of ‘polluter pays’ principle Edie Weekly Summaries, November 16th, 2001. The European Commission has published a draft directive on environmental liability, which aims to either prevent significant environmental damage, or ensure that restoration takes place. The proposed directive is the result of consultation on a white paper on environmental liability published in February 2000. Title: ExxonMobil
wins appeal against Exxon Valdez oil spill punitive damges award Economist.com, Business this Week summary, November 8th, 2001. ExxonMobil won an appeals-court ruling that a $5 billion punitive damages award for the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, made by a jury, was excessive. The award against the giant oil company is now likely to be reduced. Related articles from: Title: Miners
studying certification system: Code of conduct to ensure sustainable development National Post Online, November 6th, 2001. Several of world's biggest mining companies might adopt a certification system to insulate themselves from public relations disasters. Title: Pennsylvanians
Protest Unfair Mining Laws ENS, Ameriscan, November 6th, 2001. Tri-State Citizens Mining Network, along with residents of the coalfields, held a demonstration Saturday outside the office of Pennsylvania state Senator Barry Stout, urging support of the Coal Communities Fairness Act. The legislation, which will be introduced in the Pennsylvania General Assembly this fall, is intended to level the playing field for citizens whose lives and property are undermined, and to prevent excessive damage to the environment, homes, farms and highways by the coal industry. The full article is available on ENS, scroll towards the bottom of the page of articles. Title: US
to ease hard-rock mining rules green groups Reuters News Service, Washington, October 25th, 2001. The Bush administration is set to abandon Clinton-era environmental restrictions on mining for gold, silver, copper and other metals on federal lands, green groups said yesterday. The centerpiece of the new regulations - giving the Interior secretary the power to block mining projects likely to cause "sustainable and irreparable" harm to the land - is in danger. Related articles from the New York Times on October 26th and October 29th and Edie Weekly on 2 November 2001. NAS Report - 'Hardrock Mining on Federal Lands' 1999. Reviewed existing regulatory framework and recommended a number of reforms. Title: Environmental
Rights not a Luxury - Aarhus Convention enters into force UNECE Press Release ECE/ENV/01/15, October 29th, 2001. A new international law, described by United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan as ‘the most ambitious venture in environmental democracy undertaken under the auspices of the United Nations’, will enter into force tomorrow, 30 October 2001. The UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters known as the Aarhus Convention after the Danish city where it was adopted in June 1998 seeks to strengthen the role of members of the public and environmental organizations in protecting and improving the environment for the benefit of future generations. Through its recognition of citizens’ environmental rights to information, participation and justice, it aims to promote greater accountability and transparency in environmental matters. The full press release is available.
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