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« If you can stomach it | Main | What have they been waiting for? »

December 26, 2007

Yes, mining can be even more polluting!

Recently, Newmont Mining was cleared of a pollution and environmental damage lawsuit in Buyat Bay in Indonesia.

The judge found that there was not enough evidence to prove that Newmont polluted the environment. However, Indonesia's Environment Ministry found that food chain was contaminated by arsenic and mercury dumped by Newmont in 2004.

In addition, Mother Jones found that "the waste on Buyat's seafloor had arsenic concentrations 16 times higher, and mercury levels 8 times higher, than those at which adverse environmental effects are frequently expected."

And according to Mother Jones blog, "A 2004 study by the Indonesian government found that wells in Buyat Village had "arsenic concentrations up to six times the Indonesian drinking water standard" and that "tests Newmont conducted before opening the mine found no arsenic."

Mining is already the number one source of pollution in the US. It is scary to think that many levels found internationally are even higher then are already lax acceptable standards in North American.

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