U.S. Mining Giant Criticized in Indonesia (People Sickened & Fish Dying)

[Khephra]

BUYAT BAY, Indonesia -- Mention Newmont Mining Corp. in this impoverished seaside community, and villagers angrily recount how pollution from its gold mine has killed the fish and sickened residents with headaches, nausea and tremors.

But local leaders praise Denver-based Newmont for providing hundreds of jobs and buildings schools and clinics. Complaining villagers, they say, are just looking for a quick payout.

The world's largest gold miner is again at the center of a controversy over the environmental impact of its operations. Newmont stands accused of dumping 5.5 million tons of mercury- and arsenic-laced waste into Buyat Bay from 1996 until the mine ceased operations Aug. 31.

The charges have landed Newmont in legal trouble. Police investigating the alleged pollution in September detained five Newmont executives, including one American, for a month. And villagers have filed a $543 million civil lawsuit against the company.

http://www.newsday.com/business/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-indonesia-us-dirty-gold,0,7000155.story?coll=sns-ap-business-headlines

[salinen]

1. This is why buying gold

is dangerous. Protect yourself with gold against the coming depression? Being human sucks ass.

[patdem]

2. No...i think buy land that can grow food...and grow your own food

since you cannot eat gold!

[acmavm]

3. A preview of the coming attractions the bush* administration has in

store for us.

If (and I'm leaning toward the fact that they did) the company dumped mercury and arsenic waste into the water, then someone deserves to spend some time in a prison somewhere. This is depraved indifference to human life as well as horrible crimes against the environment.