Mining – India 1
1. Say no to uranium project’ 1
2. Land acquisition protests keep Naveen quiet on industrialisation 2
3. Encroachment in mining area: HC orders joint survey at Borders 3
4. ArcelorMittal may cut capacity of steel plant 4
5. Work at Naxal-hit Nalco mines yet to resume 5
6. K’taka HC orders survey of mining area near AP border 6
7. India NALCO mine could restart within next week 7
Mining – International 8
8. SANParks opposes proposal to mine coal at Mapungubwe 8
9. Mitra Rajasa to acquire two mining companies 10
10. Hundreds protest proposed mine 10
11. Nigeria develops new national mining policy 13
12. Paladin starts production at Malawi uranium mine 14
13. Rio Tinto chief defends deal with Chinalco 14
14. Mountaintop mining of coal is efficient, but environmental effects criticized 15
15. Shenhua eyes Mongolian mine 17
16. Coal mines leases could bring $1.4B for Montana 18
17. Indonesia to allow underground mining in forests 21
Other News – India 22
18. 'Biofuels could pollute more' 22
19. India: Climate change effecting indigenous vegetables 23
20. How climate change is hurting lakes 24
21. ECOWAS launches climate change project 25
Mining – India
Say no to uranium project’
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Former Rajya Sabha MP Robert Kharshiing has reiterated that
Meghalaya should never allow the Centre to mine for uranium in the
State, saying the proposed uranium mining project in West Khasi Hills
would cause health hazards and environmental degradation.
Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Mr Kharshiing said recent
reports of adverse effect of uranium mining on children of Faridkot,
Punjab clearly reinforced the danger involved in such mining activities.
Deformities in children due to radiation from uranium mining in
Faridkot, Punjab and two other states of the country were reported in
the national media recently, he said.
"Hair samples of children from Faridkot sent to a German laboratory
produced shocking results which show that deformities in the children
were caused by high levels of radiation from uranium mining," the former
Rajya Sabha MP said.
He expressed concern that high-grade uranium, if produced in Meghalaya,
could be used for making nuclear weapons.
"I do not wish that Meghalaya should be known for its uranium or its
high-tech nuclear weapons facilities. The State should remain a zone of
peace and tranquility, renowned for its sacred forests, music, lovely
waterfalls and simple people. Let us not sell the soul of our State for
Rs 1000 crore that Delhi is offering us," Mr Kharshiing said.
He alleged that UCIL had taken many delegations from our State to the
Jadugoda mines for so-called study tours which, he said, were meant to
fool "our innocent tribal people."
Source: http://www.theshill ongtimes. com/ of 11 April 2009
Land acquisition protests keep Naveen quiet on industrialisation
Sandip Das
Posted: 2009-04-20 00:26:02+05:30 IST
Updated: Apr 20, 2009 at 0026 hrs IST
Bhubaneswar: The Orissa government, under his stewardship, has signed as many as 49 MoUs with an estimated investment of Rs 6 lakh crore for setting up industrial units in the last ten years. But when it comes to highlighting it as an achievement, Biju Janta Dal (BJD) chief Naveen Patnaik is giving it a skip in his election speeches this time around.
Perhaps, lessons from the violent protests against land acquisitions across this mineral-rich state that has kept most of the proposed industrial plants non-starters prevented this political veteran to do so. There is anger against the state government’s handling, or rather mishandling, of land acquisitions. Perhaps, Patnaik who is at the helm of affairs in the state for a decade does not want to take a chance as any vote-swing against his party would be fatal, especially when he has just snapped an 11-year-old alliance with the BJP prior to the elections.
The Orissa government has signed MoUs with virtually every key players in the mining industry such as Tata Steel, South Korean steel giant Posco, Jindals, Arcelor Mittal and Vedanta for setting up mega green-field projects. According to estimates, the state government needs more than 20,000 acre for these projects. However, only about 3,000 acre have so far been acquired by the state government.
While the BJD manifesto is silent on how much fresh investment for industrial projects have had come in the last 10 years, it has mention of only 28 companies that have started production and have employed 47,181 workers. Interestingly, the BJD manifesto does keep space for ‘effective & adequate’ steps taken for proper ‘rehabilitation of displaced people’ and ‘environmental protection’. The party has also aimed at generating employment for 15 lakh people in the industrial sector through micro, small, cottage and handloom industries.
In his election rallies, Patnaik has been highlighting how Orissa has been ‘neglected’ by the national parties and it is now time to ‘fight unitedly for our rights’. Even on Saturday, while speaking at a rally in Kalinga Nagar, where 12 tribal people were shot dead allegedly by the police for protesting against proposed Tata Steel plant three years back, the chief minister did not even mention about the tribal anger against the proposed project.
Instead, he has been harping on his government’s achievement of providing 25 kg rice every month at Rs 2 per kg to each Below the Poverty Line families.
The main opposition Congress, in its manifesto, has categorically stated that it will review all MoUs signed by the current state government in the last 10 years.
While the party is mum on industrial policy, it has stated that henceforth mining lease would be given to any private party but to stated-owned Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) or any government corporation to explore and market minerals.
Ironically, the CPI(M), a vocal critique of Naveen Patnaik’s industrial policy, has been fighting elections along with BJD but has a manifesto similar to the Congress on mining. CPI(M) has also stated that it would only allow OMC to have access to mining. BJP, on its part, has promised development of village industries and employment of people of Orissa in all the industrial projects. Orissa goes for the second and the last phase of poll to both 77 assemblies and 11 Lok Sabha seats belonging mostly to coastal belt on April 23. The first phase of elections to 70 assembly and 10 Lok Sabha seats were held on April 16.
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/land-acquisition-protests-keep-naveen-quiet-on-industrialisation/448887/0
Encroachment in mining area: HC orders joint survey at Borders
20 Apr 2009, 2343 hrs IST, TNN
Bangalore: The high court on Monday ordered for a joint survey to be conducted by Indian Bureau of Mines and Surveyor of India officials from
both Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh over allegations of encroachment of the state's territory.
A division Bench headed by the chief justice sought a detailed report by June 8.
The court also permitted the petitioner to undertake mining as well transportation of extracted ore in the undisputed area, which will be identified by authorities one week after the Lok Sabha election process is over on May 16.
Petitioner T Narayana Reddy claimed that Obalapuram Mines Ltd, owned by BJP minister G Janardhana Reddy, got a mining licence in Andhra Pradesh and had encroached upon his mining area at Tumti village in Sandur taluk of Karnataka's Bellary district by removing the border pillar.
The petitioner said he couldn't attend the earlier joint surveys because of imposition of section 144 there.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Encroachment-in-mining-area-HC-orders-joint-survey-at-Borders/articleshow/4427244.cms
ArcelorMittal may cut capacity of steel plant
Bloomberg / April 21, 2009, 0:26 IST
May indefinitely defer the second plant at Orissa.
ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steelmaker, may cut the size of a planned steel plant in India by half and indefinitely defer a second facility as the global recession curbs sales of cars and homes, a company official has said.
An investment committee would meet this week in Luxembourg to discuss building a 3 million-metric-tonne factory in eastern India for Rs 7,500 crore ($1.5 billion), said the official, declining to be identified as the plan is confidential. The company, which had planned two plants with a starting capacity of 6 million tonnes each, would defer the investments by at least two years to 2014 and might cut their sizes, Vijay Kumar Bhatnagar, CEO, India unit, said on April 15.
Steelmakers are shelving new projects and cutting output as the global recession weakens international steel demand. Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal said last week it would close a facility in Indiana that makes steel bars for the auto industry.
“Companies will continue to do the groundwork but will revive their projects only when the fortune of the industry changes,” said Rakesh Arora, an analyst at Macquarie Group Ltd, Mumbai. “Allocation of iron ore is the key to securing investment in the steel sector in India.”
ArcelorMittal fell as much as 7 per cent, the most since March 30, to ¤20.56 and traded at ¤20.58 at 12:19 pm in Amsterdam. The shares have risen 21 per cent this year.
ArcelorMittal secured a permit to mine iron ore in the eastern Jharkhand state last year, almost three years after the company announced the $10 billion venture. The states of Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh account for 70 per cent of India’s coal reserves and 55 per cent of its iron ore, according to McKinsey & Co.
ArcelorMittal in October 2005 said it would set up a factory with a final capacity of 12 million tonnes in Jharkhand and announced another plant of the same size in neighboring Orissa the following year. There would be no change to the final planned capacity, Bhatnagar said on April 15.
“ArcelorMittal remains committed to its greenfield projects in India,” Lynn Robbroeckx, a spokeswoman for ArcelorMittal in London, said today by phone. “However, it is only prudent to ensure that the timing of this project is adapted to the current exceptional economic environment.”
Robbroeckx was unable to confirm whether ArcelorMittal officials were meeting this week in Luxembourg to discuss the company’s plan for India.
Like ArcelorMittal, plans by Posco, Asia’s third-biggest steelmaker, to set up a factory in India have yet to take off. Land disputes and delays in allocating mining licences have prevented the South Korean company from starting a 12 million-tonne steel plant in Orissa for the past two years.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/arcelormittal-may-cut-capacitysteel-plant/3557551/
Work at Naxal-hit Nalco mines yet to resume
Dillip Satapathy / Bhubaneswar April 21, 2009, 1:25 IST
The bauxite mines of National Aluminium Company (Nalco) at the Panchpatmali hills in Koraput district of Orissa are yet to restart operations after last week’s naxalite attack.
Scared workers continue to stay away from work, demanding fulfilment of various security-related requirements.
The stoppage of work hasn’t affected the production of alumina at the refinery at Damanjodi, about 15 km from the mines, as the refinery has about 30 days of bauxite stock, a company source said. But if the stalemate continues for another eight to 10 days, the refinery may be affected.
The Panchpatmali bauxite mines of Nalco have the largest deposit of bauxite in Asia. With an annual capacity of 48 lakh tonnes, it produces 12,000-15,000 tonnes of bauxite every day.
Company authorities may officially declare the mines “safe for operation” tomorrow, after a thorough scanning of the area for any remnants of land mines left by the Naxalites, who laid siege to the property for over eight hours last week.
But, workers are adamant on other demands. These include no duty in the mines after sunset, increasing the number of security personnel in the mines and at the workers’ colony and in the buses engaged for transport of the staff.
The management has held several rounds of discussions with a core group of representatives of all employee unions and associations over the past week, but to no avail.
The Naxals attacked on April 12 night. In the fight, 10 Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) jawans and five Naxalites were killed. About 100 Nalco workers were held hostage by the ultras for over eight hours before being released the next morning.
A top executive of the company said if there is no work after sunset, this will render a large portion of the work force surplus, besides the loss of production. Similarly, security at the mines, workers colony and company buses cannot be strengthened right away, as posting of more CISF men and providing them and their families with necessary social infrastructure will take time.
The delay in declaring the area safe for operation was due to unavailability of bomb experts. The state police have only one bomb squad and it is currently engaged in giving protection to political leaders visiting naxal infested areas for election campaigning.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/work-at-naxal-hit-nalco-mines-yet-to-resume/355787/
K’taka HC orders survey of mining area near AP border
Express News Service
First Published : 21 Apr 2009 02:18:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 21 Apr 2009 12:58:19 PM IST
BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Monday directed the Indian Bureau of Mines and Survey of India to survey the alleged encroachment of mining land at Tumti village on the Karnataka-Andhra border.
The court directed the two departments to conduct the survey in the presence of the officials concerned from both the States and submit a report by June 8.
Narayana Reddy, a mine owner, had filed a writ petition stating that a minister from Karnataka had encroached upon his mining land in Karnataka by removing the milestone located on the border of both the States after obtaining a mining lease from Andhra Pradesh in the name of Obalapuram Mining Company.
Out of the 40 acres of land leased to Reddy by the Karnataka Government, nearly 15 hectares is in dispute.
The court had directed him not to transport the iron ore mined in that land till the dispute was resolved.
Reddy then filed a petition in the High Court and requested the court to allow him to mine in the undisputed area.
A division bench of the High Court, consisting of Chief Justice PD Dinakaran and Justice VG Sabahit, allowed the petition and directed the regional directors of Indian Bureau of Mines and Survey of India to conduct a survey of the land.
The court also directed the Forest Department and Department of Mines and Geology to identify the undisputed land.
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=K%E2%80%99taka+HC+orders+survey+of+mining+area+near+AP+border&artid=o%7CoBO0wjEoE=&SectionID=e7uPP4%7CpSiw=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=EH8HilNJ2uYAot5nzqumeA==&SEO=
India NALCO mine could restart within next week
Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:11am EDT
MUMBAI, April 21 (Reuters) - India's state-run National Aluminium Co Ltd (NALCO) (NALU.BO) is in talks with mine workers to have them return to work after a shutdown, which could take up to a week, the company's top official said on Tuesday.
NALCO's bauxite mine in eastern Orissa state has been shut since April 12 when it was attacked by Maoist rebels ahead of national elections, killing 14 people. [ID:nDEL456440].
"It may open any time... maybe today, maybe tomorrow, maybe after seven days," NALCO Chairman C.R. Pradhan told Reuters.
He said workers had made several demands regarding security that the company was trying to meet. The mine, situated in the Koraput district in Orissa, has a capacity to generate 4.8 million tonnes of bauxite a year, supplied to the company's smelter in the same state.
Pradhan said the smelter's operations continued as usual, thanks to the stocks it held. The norm was to have 30 days' stocks on hand, he added. (Reporting by Ruchira Singh; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSBOM2951020090421
Mining – International
SANParks opposes proposal to mine coal at Mapungubwe
By Tshwarelo eseng Mogakane
Musina - South African National Parks (SANParks) is challenging an application for a R3 trillion mining operation to be established at the entrance to the Mapungubwe World Heritage Site.
SANParks spokesperson Wanda Mkhutshulwa said on Monday that SANParks was opposed to the idea as it threatened the environment around Mapungubwe, particularly the quality of its water.
"We are currently engaging the department of minerals and energy over the concerns that we have as SANParks. We are concerned about the impact the mining will have on the national park," said Ms Mkhutshulwa.
""Our mandate is to look after the park and ensure that the environment surrounding it is protected. From our view, the mining project will have a negative impact on the water in the park."
She said meetings between SANParks and the Department of Minerals and Energy would be held soon to discuss the concerns further.
Department of Minerals and Energy spokesperson Bheki Khumalo stressed on Monday that the mining project was not a done deal.
"Coal of Africa has applied for mining rights with the department. This is an ongoing process. After all objections have been registered and all concerns considered the department will make a determination. We are still months away from that," said Mr Khumalo.
The Mapungubwe National Park, situated near Musina in Limpopo, is not only a game reserve, but is also home to the archaeological treasure of Mapungubwe, a kingdom predating that of Great Zimbabwe.
Mapungubwe was the base of a trading empire that traded with the people of China, India, Egypt and Persia, exchanging ivory, gold around the year 1200.
Mapungubwe National Park manager Tshimangadzo Nehemani said the park would lose its middle class market who has grown enchanted by the mystical allure of Mapungubwe.
"Our 2008/2009 tourist statistics show that we had 26 000 visitors, 76% of whom were locals while 75% were black," said Mr Nehemani.
A much-awaited interpretation centre will open by the end of this year, giving the public access to priceless gold work uncovered at the site, including the world-famous and exquisitely crafted tiny golden rhino, a gold sceptre and gold bowl.
JSE-listed mining company Coal of Africa (CoAL) presented a scoping report at a community meeting of about 150 people last Thursday, in which it stated that the Vele Mining Project, which would be a combination of an open cast and underground coal mine, would create jobs and inject investment into the province.
Chief Operations Officer Riaan van der Merwe said the project would create in the region of 14 000 direct and indirect employment opportunities or benefits during the construction phase and around 30 000 direct and indirect jobs during the operational phase.
But local business owners have complained that the scoping report failed to address concerns raised at previous meetings.
Among the concerns was the issue of an environmental impact assessmentstudy on how the Musina roads would be affected by coal-hauling trucks and dust from the coal.
"We have such a beautiful environment here. The atmosphere is clean and all of that will be wiped out by the coal business," said Paul Hatty, manager of Mopane Bush Lodge which is situated about 7km from the proposed mining site.
Mr Hatty said his lodge drew over 100 international tourists per month who routinely visited the world heritage site.
"We will lose our clients as no sane person will pay money to be swallowed by coal dust," he said.
Vhembe district municipal councillor Mapulanka Baloi welcomed the proposal, saying it would benefit many people.
"Coal of Africa has been consistent in its approach to this project since inception and we are excited about the prospect of them coming to Limpopo. The mine will create new levels of economic development and employment and bring the province to a new level of prosperity," said Mr Baloi. – BuaNews
http://www.buanews.gov.za/news/09/09042011451002
Mitra Rajasa to acquire two mining companies
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Mon, 04/20/2009 9:11 PM | Business
PT Mitra Rajasa Tbk plans to acquire PT Realita Jaya Mandiri and PT Masindo Artha Resources in South Sumatra, which are worth around US$40 million.
"The funds for the acquisition will come from loans and internal cash sources. The company is now also negotiating with two banks in connection with the acquisition plan," the company's director, Tito Sulistio, said in Jakarta on Monday, as quoted by state new agency Antara.
He said PT Realita Jaya Mandiri was operating in the mining sector and held a license for mining and operating on 1,598 hectares of land in Musi Banyuasin, South Sumatra.
PT Mashindo Artha Resources meanwhile holds a license for mining on 5,600 hectares of land and another 4,400 hectares of land in Musi Banyuasin, South Sumatra.
"Coal reserves in the three locations are estimated to reach more than 100 million tons," he said.
He said the process of valuation on the two companies was not yet completed and was expected to be finished by the end of this month.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/04/20/mitra-rajasa-acquire-two-mining-companies.html
Hundreds protest proposed mine
Residents worried about dust from site on BLM land
By SCOTT WYLAND
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Sun City Anthem residents opposed to efforts to start a mining operation near their Henderson community stand up to show their outrage at a forum Monday night.
Photo by Duane Prokop.
U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., left, and Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak both express support Monday night for Henderson residents who are concerned about an open pit mining application in their area.
Photo by Duane Prokop.
Jane Burns of Henderson speaks Monday night against a proposal to open a mining operation near her community.
Photo by Duane Prokop.
A proposed open-pit mine where crews would blast the earth, crush rocks and kick up dust for decades drew almost 400 outraged residents to a forum Monday.
Most hailed from Sun City Anthem, several miles from where two companies want to scoop out sand, gravel and decorative rock at a 640-acre site east of Interstate 15. Most wore T-shirts that read: "Stop the Sloan Hills gravel pit."
A couple of dozen neighbors vented to a panel of public officials, including U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., who was preparing to catch a plane to Washington, D.C.
Donna Dickey, a fierce opponent, asked panel members whether they'd be more apt to halt the project to protect the desert tortoise, which is listed as a threatened species.
"I would like you to consider us an endangered species," Dickey said.
About 5,500 people signed a petition opposing the quarry. Many argue that airborne dust would make breathing difficult for the elderly and children, especially those with respiratory problems.
They also worry that the blasting and rock-crushing would ruin the area's tranquility. And they say trucks hauling out 500 loads daily would jam up traffic and damage roads.
Titus said she sided with residents.
"This is not what we need in this area," Titus said, drawing hearty applause. "I'm telling you I'm on your side and trying to put a stop to what's happening."
Titus noted that the affected areas actually fall in the district of Rep. Dean Heller, R-Nev. She and Heller need to reach across party lines and work together on this issue, Titus said.
An aide to Heller read a statement that expressed a more neutral stance. Heller said companies by law can apply for the right to mine the land, but there's no guarantee they'll be granted that right.
One resident asked where in this drought-stricken region will the companies get the estimated 5 million gallons of water per week needed to do their mining.
"The simple answer is I don't know where all the water is coming from," said Mark Chatterton, a Bureau of Land Management representative.
Cemex, a Mexico-based cement company, and Service Rock Products, based in California, want to lease the site from the BLM.
However, they would have to outbid any competitors.
The BLM is studying the environmental effects of the gravel pit before taking bids from operators who would pay the federal government a fee for every ton of material removed from the site, said Kirsten Cannon, an agency spokeswoman.
If the site proves unsuitable to mine, the agency will absorb the $350,000 cost of the study, Cannon said. Otherwise, the highest bidder will pay the cost.
The BLM will take 45 days of public comment in late November and should issue a final impact statement by mid-2010, Cannon said, noting that mining could begin in 2011.
Mining at the site could be in operation for about 20 years or less, depending on the demand for the minerals, Chatterton said.
Delmar Brim, who has lived in the area for 10 years, said mining is a bad fit because of brisk southwest winds that would blow dust into people's homes.
"We have a lot of people with respiratory problems," Brim said.
When asked whether the mining companies could do anything to placate him and other neighbors, Brim had a terse reply.
"Just move it somewhere else," he said.
Contact reporter Scott Wyland at swyland@reviewjournal.com or 702-455-4519.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/43330337.html
Nigeria develops new national mining policy
Tuesday, 21 Apr 2009
Ms Deziani Allison-Madueke Nigeria’s Minister of Mines and Steel said that Nigeria has developed a new legal and regulatory framework for mining, in addition to carrying out a number of institutional reforms.
Ms Allison Madueke said that "We now have a new mineral law the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act 2007 and a new National Mining Policy.''
She said that "At present, Nigeria is putting in place creative strategic plans and frameworks in a bid to diversify our country's economic base through pragmatic development of our mineral resources.''
Ms Allison-Madueke also disclosed that Nigeria had mapped out its seven strategic minerals in order to ensure maximum output.
She said that Nigeria had prioritized the development of its minerals as follows Gold, Bitumen, Coal, Iron ore, Limestone, Barytes and Lead Zinc.
The minister said that "In developing these minerals, Nigeria hopes to increase the mineral resources contribution to her nation's GDP from the present 0.05% to 20% in the next few years.''
Flush with huge revenues from oil and gas in recent years, Nigeria had abandoned other sectors of the economy, including mining and agriculture. However, the falling prices of oil have forced Africa's most populous nation to begin a process of developing other sectors of the economy to propel growth and prosperity.
Meanwhile, Nigeria has expressed support for efforts by ECOWAS to ensure the development of mineral resources in the West African region.
The efforts are geared towards the adoption of a common policy and a common legal framework for the mining sector in member states.
The first step ECOWAS Directive on the Harmonisation of guiding principles and policies in the mining sector is being taken at the meeting, which is expected to adopt the draft directive prepared by a group of experts who met here from Monday to Thursday.
http://steelguru.com/news/index/2009/04/21/OTEyOTM%3D/Nigeria_develops_new_national_mining_policy.html
Paladin starts production at Malawi uranium mine
Monday, Apr 20, 2009
Paladin (Africa) Ltd, a subsidiary of Australian uranium miner Paladin Energy Ltd, started production at its $200 million Kayelekera uranium mine in northern Malawi on Friday.
The mine, which is expected to produce about 3.3 million pounds of uranium per year, would become the country's top foreign currency earner in coming years, Malawi President Bingu Wa Mutharika said at the official launch of the mine in Karonga, northern Malawi.
"Malawi is expected to earn over $100 million in export earnings per annum from royalties, taxes and offer 300 people direct employment and 1,000 (people) additional employment in other related industries," Wa Mutharika said, adding it would also contribute about 10 percent to Malawi's GDP.
Malawi's GDP is about $2.2 billion.
Wa Mutharika said the mine marked a shift from the southern African nation's dependence on agriculture.
"I call upon investors to come to Malawi and mine other minerals that have been discovered in the country like gold, bauxite and emeralds," he said.
Malawi's government has a 15 percent stake in the mine, which has a lifespan of 12 years, and Paladin Africa holds the rest.
Paladin Africa Managing Director John Borshof said the mine was one of the most modern in Africa and was expected to join the world nuclear supply cycle.
Kayelekera is Paladin's second uranium mine on the continent, after Langer Heinrich in Namibia.
http://www.yourindustrynews.com/paladin+starts+production+at+malawi+uranium+mine_30024.html
Rio Tinto chief defends deal with Chinalco
Web posted at: 4/21/2009 7:59:9
Source ::: AFP
SYDNEY: Rio Tinto’s chairman defended the firm’s tie-up with Chinalco to angry shareholders yesterday, calling it the best way to get badly needed funds and playing down worries over China’s influence here. Amid deep scepticism at Rio’s annual general meeting in Sydney over the $19.5bn deal, outgoing chairman Paul Skinner said Chinalco’s investment would shore up the debt-laden mining giant’s balance sheet.
“The potential partnership with Chinalco will strengthen our position during this period of extreme uncertainty,” he said of the deal, which will be China’s largest ever foreign investment if the Australian government approves it. “It provides the most comprehensive solution to the immediate and medium-term financing challenges we face.
“We believe this is the best option going forward and we are resolved to carry this through.” The deal would see Chinalco double its stake in Rio to 18 percent, taking two seats on the Rio board and stakes in its aluminium, bauxite, copper and iron ore projects.
But there has been political and shareholder opposition to the deal, which comes amid increasing sensitivity about China’s quest to secure a firmer hold on natural resources around the globe.
Rio shares fell as much as 4.4 percent on doubts about whether Canberra would give the green light to the politically controversial deal before recovering slightly to close down 2.1 percent at A$57.9 ($42.57).
Business commentator and Rio shareholder Stephen Mayne said the mining giant’s board was grilled relentlessly at the meeting about the Chinalco proposal and the 2007 purchase of aluminium maker Alcan.
“The Rio Tinto board copped a comprehensive three-and-a-half-hour lashing,” Mayne said. The Australian Shareholders Association questioned before the meeting why Rio went to Chinalco, rather than the market, to seek cash.
“We can’t have a position where an 18 percent stockholder can appoint two directors who can’t be removed by an 82 percent vote,” the association’s Duncan Seddon told The Australian newspaper.
Skinner, who was replaced by former British American Tobacco chief Jan du Plessis at the end of the meeting, sought to ease concerns about how much say the state-owned Chinese firm would have in Rio’s decision-making.
“It includes a robust governance framework that will enable Rio Tinto to maintain effective operational control and avoid conflicts of interest,” he said.
Skinner acknowledged that Rio’s $38.1bn Alcan takeover in 2007, at the height of the resources boom, was the source of Rio’s debt woes. But he predicted that Alcan’s assets would prove valuable in the longer term.
“When the recovery in aluminium prices comes about, we believe that the real strengths and value-creating potential of the business will become apparent,” he said. Shareholder Robin McIntyre was not convinced, saying she was unhappy with the way Rio was being managed.
“They’ve made bad investments, purchases, particularly Alcan,” she told ABC radio. “They’ve gone into a deal with Chinalco without asking the shareholders, they’ve just done it. We don’t know whether we can get out of it or not.” Rio shareholders are expected to vote on the proposed deal around mid-year at an extraordinary general meeting.
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Business_News&subsection=market+news&month=April2009&file=Business_News200904217599.xml
Mountaintop mining of coal is efficient, but environmental effects criticized
By Robert Trigaux, Times Business Columnist
In Print: Tuesday, April 21, 2009
________________________________________
Maria Gunnoe stands on the mountaintop removal site near her property in Bob White, W.Va. Gunnoe was named the North American winner Monday of the Goldman Environmental Prize for her 11-year battle over the coal mining practice.
I was born in West Virginia but moved away when I was young. I remember my first airplane trip, a bumpy 1965 Allegheny Airlines flight from New York to Charleston to visit my grandparents.
An uncle took me on back roads to see where coal was mined. Back then, coal could be found all over the place, from big mines to hollowed-out caves in back yards and roadsides where it was simply dug out and burned for heat.
Floridians now rely on this same coal to keep their lights on.
Coal was part of Appalachia's lifeblood. Still is. The problem now is that some coal companies embraced a type of coal mining called "mountaintop removal." It's mechanized, employs fewer workers and does not involve digging under the ground.
Companies first clear-cut a mountaintop and then blast an average of 800 feet off the top of the mountain to access coal seams that lie beneath. Rubble from the blasted mountains, often containing toxic debris, is dumped into adjacent valleys to form "valley fills."
TECO Energy and Progress Energy — two major electricity providers to the Tampa Bay area — have ranked, thanks to coal businesses they've owned, among the bigger players in mountaintop decapitation. TECO says it still does mountaintop removal. But it also cites mountaintop reclamation projects in Kentucky, including Whitley County High School and the Raven Rock golf course. Progress Energy sold off its coal mining operations over the past few years.
Mountaintop removal's long been a controversy of environment vs. jobs. When mountaintop debris is dumped into adjacent valleys, blocking natural streams, flooding often occurs, frequently mixed with toxic waste. Many water resources used by people in such areas have become contaminated.
In southwest West Virginia, Maria Gunnoe, 40, fought an 11-year war over the strip mining she says ruined her homestead with flooded coal waste seven times since 2000. She can't drink her own water. The mountaintop removal above her home was the work of Magnum Coal, bought last year by Patriot Coal of St. Louis.
On Monday, Gunnoe was recognized as the 2009 North American winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize for her work as a community organizer for the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition in West Virginia. The prize is given to six people annually — one on each inhabited continent — and comes with a $150,000 cash prize. Winners were recognized Monday in San Francisco.
In his 2006 book Lost Mountain, author Erik Reece called TECO, the parent of Tampa Electric, "one of the most negligent mountaintop removal outfits in Appalachia." The company's subsidiary, TECO Coal, owns 13 subsidiaries in Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia.
In March, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency said it planned an aggressive review of permit requests for mountaintop coal mining, citing serious concerns about potential harm to water quality. The move is a sharp reversal of the Bush administration's policies.
Just thought you might wonder where the fuel generating some of your electricity originates.
Robert Trigaux can be reached at trigaux@sptimes.com.
[Last modified: Apr 20, 2009 10:18 PM]
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/energy/article993834.ece
Shenhua eyes Mongolian mine
By Xiao Wan (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-04-21 08:02
China Shenhua Energy Co Ltd, the nation's top coal producer, yesterday said it was negotiating with the Mongolian government to purchase a coal mine in the country.
The company will see some progress on its bid for the Tavan Tolgoi mine in Mongolia this year, company Vice-President Wang Jinli said yesterday.
The deal still depends on the Mongolian government's offer, he said, without elaborating.
Shenhua is among several miners including BHP Billiton and Peabody Energy that have expressed an interest in the Tavan Tolgoi coal mine.
The thermal and coking coal mine currently has small-scale coal operations. It is worth more than $5 billion, a source with Shenhua told China Daily yesterday.
Shenhua earlier this year started building a 4.7-billion-yuan railway line to transport coal and copper from Mongolia.
The 354-km rail link starts at Shenhua's Wanshuiquan station in Baotou city in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, and ends at the border town of Ganqimaodu. It will be able to transport 60 million tons of coal and copper from Mongolia each year when completed by 2011.
The railway forms part of plans by China and Mongolia to develop the Tavan Tolgoi mine, sources with the company said.
Analysts said that Shenhua could improve its product mix by making some overseas mergers and acquisitions.
Last year, the company won a bid for a mining lease in Australia's Watermark exploration area, taking its first step in developing coal resources overseas.
The company has also invested in a coal and power project in the South Sumatra province of Indonesia, comprising a mine with an annual capacity of 2.3 million tons and a 300-megawatt coal-fired power plant.
Shenhua earlier said it would cut capital spending by 16 percent this year because of falling power demand amid the global financial crisis.
The company has earmarked 29.9 billion yuan for capital expenditure in 2009, down from 35.8 billion yuan a year ago.
Shenhua earlier said its commercial coal production rose 16 percent in the first quarter but sales were steady.
The company produced 51.8 million tons of commercial coal in the first three months of 2009, up from 44.6 million tons in the same period last year, it said in a statement. But coal sales rose just 0.5 percent to 57 million tons, as exports fell 13 percent in the three-month period, to 4 million tons.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2009-04/21/content_7698017.htm
Coal mines leases could bring $1.4B for Montana
Written by MATTHEW BROWN
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) – A new appraisal of vast state-owned coal reserves in southeastern Montana finds the state would reap $1.4 billion in royalty payments over the next four decades if it leases the property for mining.
Development of the Otter Creek tracts – more than a billion tons of coal co-owned by the state and Great Northern Properties – could open the door to a dramatic expansion of the region’s coal industry. It also could facilitate construction of a long-delayed rail line, the Tongue River Railroad.
Both projects are fiercely contested by environmentalists and some Montana property owners, including billionaire Forrest Mars Jr. of the Mars candy business.
Developing the tracts has been pushed by private industry and the Montana Rural Education Association. Any royalty payments would go toward the state’s public schools.
Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer said Monday he wants a mine built, but only if the state gets top dollar for its assets. He said any environmental concerns were superseded by the state’s obligation to bring in revenues from its land.
“We can only sell it one time,” Schweitzer said. “We have a fiduciary responsibility to maximize the value of school trust land.”
The Otter Creek appraisal was prepared for the state by Norwest Corp., a Salt Lake City consultant to the mining and energy industries. It will be heard April 20 by the Montana Land Board, which consists of Montana’s top five elected officials, who ultimately will decide whether the state will lease the tracts.
Montana’s 610 million tons of coal are spread over 9,500 acres near Ashland. The tracts are interspersed in a checkerboard fashion with land owned by Great Northern Properties, which controls a similar amount of coal.
The appraisal estimates that developing a coal mine at Otter Creek and building the Tongue River Railroad would cost $1 billion. The appraisal says the state could expect an upfront bonus of at least $37 million.
The estimate of $1.4 billion in royalties over coming decades was based on an assumption that 33 million tons of coal would be mined annually.
That would mark a 75 percent increase in Montana coal production – at a time when the slowing economy is decreasing demand for the fuel nationwide.
But Monte Mason with the state Department of Natural Resources, which sought the appraisal, said mining companies already are showing interest. He declined to name the companies.
The state’s ownership stake in the project could significantly complicate development efforts by giving opponents a political forum for their objections. Mike Scott, Montana representative of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, said his group is gearing up to make those objections known.
“The small profit the state can make off these coal tracts is greatly overshadowed by the environmental consequences of mining and burning coal,” Scott said. “It just doesn’t add up.”
Great Northern President Charles Kerr said his company is “highly motivated to make it work” by finding a company willing to invest in a mine.
“It’s going to be a polarized process. There’s major politics,” said Kerr, whose office is in Houston.
Kerr described the outcome of political debate in the state capital of Helena as “a coin toss.” And he said the Northern Cheyenne tribe also would have to weigh in.
Leaders from the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, due west of the Otter Creek coal tracts, historically have opposed the Tongue River Railroad but have not adopted a clear line on mining.
The Otter Creek tracts were given to the state by the federal government in 2002 as part of a federally brokered deal to shut down the New World gold mine proposed near Yellowstone National Park in the 1990s. The tracts were intended as compensation for revenues the state would have received from the gold mine.
If the Land Board puts the coal tracts out for bid and then authorizes a lease auction, a winning bidder could be announced by September, said the DNRC’s Mason.
Schweitzer said he would be willing to hold multiple auctions, if needed, to get a fair value for the coal. He warned that if the price were set too low, mining companies in neighboring Wyoming could acquire the lease just to prevent the tracts from being developed.
Tongue River Railroad developer Mike Gustafson said Monday that the appraisal marked a “catalytic event” in his long-stalled effort to build his line, which would connect to an existing a Burlington Northern Santa Fe route through Miles City.
Gustafson’s railroad received final approval from the Surface Transportation Board in 2007. It remains embroiled in a lengthy federal court challenge brought by conservation groups and landowners.
http://nativetimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1500&Itemid=&Itemid=32
Indonesia to allow underground mining in forests
Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:05am EDT
By Fitri Wulandari
JAKARTA, April 21 (Reuters) - Indonesia plans to issue a presidential decree to allow miners to carry out underground mining in its protected forest, a government official said on Tuesday, alarming green groups.
Indonesia has some of the world's largest reserves of minerals and is keen to increase revenue from the mining sector, which hosts international firms such as Newmont Mining Corp. (NEM.N) and Rio Tinto (RIO.AX).
The decree, which is expected to benefit dozens of mining firms, clarifies Indonesia's forestry law issued in 1999 that prohibited open-pit mining in protected forest areas but did not specify whether underground mining was permitted.
"The presidential decree will give legal basis so that underground mining is allowed in protected forest areas," Bambang Setiawan, director general of mineral, geothermal and coal at the country's energy ministry, told reporters.
"The existing law only forbids open-pit mining in protected forest areas," he said, adding that the decree was awaiting approval by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Indonesia's conflicting mining and forestry regulations have resulted in considerable confusion over which areas are protected and which may be opened for exploitation.
Only 13 mining companies are now allowed to carry out open-pit mining in protected forest areas after former President Megawati Sukarnoputri issued a decree in 2004 allowing the firms, including a local unit of Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold (FCX.N), to resume mining activities, including exploration, development and production in these areas.
The companies had obtained mining permits before the 1999 forestry law was issued and had proved that their projects were economically viable and had mining reserves.
The new decree would help attract mining investment, while protecting the environment, said M.S. Marpaung, director of engineering and environment at the energy and mines ministry.
"It will encourage miners to carry out exploration to find new mineral resources that are often located in the forest," Marpaung said, adding that underground mining was suitable for Indonesia, given its extensive forest.
While acknowledging that underground mining has less impact on the environment, green groups said it should be limited to production forests designated for commercial purposes such as pulp and paper mills or timber companies.
"The government has given up protected forests for open-pit mining to 13 mining firms. It should not worsen the situation by allowing underground mining in the areas," said Pius Ginting, mining campaigner of the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi).
"Protected forest still has rich biodiversity and we need it to reduce carbon emission," he said. Indonesia is estimated by conservation groups to have one of the world's swiftest deforestation rates.
Indonesia has mineable nickel reserves of 547 million tonnes, 112 million tonnes of bauxite and 43 million tonnes of copper, data from the mining and energy ministry showed.
Mineable reserves of tin stand at 336,911 tonnes, measured in terms of refined tin, while gold reserves were 4,341 tonnes, it said. (Editing by Ed Davies and Clarence Fernandez)
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSJAK46639420090421
Other News – India
'Biofuels could pollute more'
21 Apr 2009, 0003 hrs IST, AGENCIES
Environmentalists have warned against biofuels, saying they could produce twice the carbon emissions of the fossil fuels they replace,
environmentalists have claimed.
Friends of the Earth said rules introduced a year ago requiring a percentage of UK transport fuels to be “green” could have created an extra 1.3 million tonnes of CO², Sky News reported.
Supporters of biofuels said that in the first year of the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation, the industry had shown it was possible to produce sustainable fuels in the UK. But Friends of the Earth claim the RTFO could be producing the equivalent emissions of putting an extra 500,000 cars on the road.
The group’s director Andy Atkins said: “Trying to cut emissions by adding biofuels to petrol is like trying to cut down on beer by lacing your pints with vodka”. Until ministers can prove that biofuel actually cuts carbon, UK should stop biofuels being added to petrol and diesel, he said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Health--Science/Earth/Global-Warming/Biofuels-could-pollute-more/articleshow/4427480.cms
India: Climate change effecting indigenous vegetables
Nikheli has been selling vegetables (indigenous to Nagaland) since 1989. After 20 years of good business, she’s finally facing the impact of what she once least considered –Climate Change. What used to be a thriving season for indigenous pumpkins and jute plant leaves, the 70 year old lady says, they have still not sprouted. And what little is available, vegetable sellers are unable to meet the demands of customers.
For someone like Nikheli, selling vegetables is her only source of income and the dry spell has hit her hard.
The scarcity of fruits and vegetables clearly shows how the climate change has affected agriculture. Global warming manifested with rising temperature and no rainfall, has left the local market with just a few vegetables that have somehow withstood the changing weather pattern. A Chakhesang lady sitting in super market said vegetables indigenous to Nagaland have stopped coming from places like Wokha, Jalukie, Peren and Kohima. The little which makes their way into the market is priced so high that most buyers are facing losses. She says with lament that a large bag containing different varieties of indigenous edible jungle leaves usually costing around Rs. 50 now cost anywhere between Rs. 200 to Rs. 300. The high price of the vegetables has also prompted them to reduce the quantity, much to the resentment of customers.
Losing vegetables and edible plants indigenous to Nagaland is one among the most worrying factors of climate change. Most women sitting in the market have been selling vegetables for decades, and they can predict that the changing weather patterns are contributing to the shortage of the vegetables. Nikheli, who has witnessed times of plenty, says that the rising temperature is causing some indigenous vegetables to perish and many other have lost their original taste. She says it has become very hard to even grow mustard due to scanty rain. Many jungle vegetables and edible plants have not sprouted this year due to less rainfall, the vendors say; and the villages where most vegetable come from don’t have enough for their own consumption. The once plenty “zingy” leaf commonly used by Nagas to add flavor in curries, fell short of demand this year and has already stopped coming from suppliers.
Climate change has also adversely affected the lives of these vegetable sellers. What once used to earn them around a thousand rupees a day is now reduced to a mere few hundred rupee. These women say they have witnessed slow change in weather patterns over the past few years, but did not comprehend it would reach this stage. Some of them even expressed fear that the “biblical prophesy” of end of days is approaching. While some of them are waiting eagerly for the slump season to get over, others like Nikheli wisely says “The world is moving ahead but our lives have become harder.”
http://www.freshplaza.com/news_detail.asp?id=42048
How climate change is hurting lakes
Apr 21, 2009 04:30 AM
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Tanya Talaga
QUEEN'S PARK BUREAU
The first report on Ontario's water quality shows climate change is significantly impacting northern lakes, lengthening the ice-free season and potentially disrupting their ecosystems.
The report also finds the Don River is still highly polluted and Hamilton Harbour is a toxic hot spot.
Released at the Ontario Science Centre yesterday, the Water Quality in Ontario 2008 Report examines the effect of phosphorus enrichment, toxic substances, acid deposition and climate change on provincial lakes and rivers.
Some improvements have been made, said Environment Minister John Gerretsen. "But we still have a long way to go," he told reporters.
Results of "extensive monitoring" by environment ministry officials show climate change is leaving its mark, the report said. The ice-free season in the Lake of the Woods has increased by four weeks since the mid-1960s, leading to increased algae growth. Algae are the base of aquatic food webs and changes may have cascading effects to "higher levels of the food web," it said.
"It is a significant change," said government scientist Wolfgang Scheider, one of the report's authors. "It is a warning signal."
Not all the news is bleak. Government regulations and programs have lowered levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and mercury in the Great Lakes and phosphorus levels in Lake Simcoe.
But, the report states, in many other lakes and streams, phosphorus levels are still high and fish not completely safe to eat.
The Don River has high phosphorus levels. "The Don is the one river in Ontario that is probably in the worst shape," said Scheider.
http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/621620
ECOWAS launches climate change project
Posted on Monday 20 April 2009 - 15:55
Buya Jammeh, AfricaNews reporter in Banjul, Gambia
Five West African states have launched a sub-regional project on adaptation to climate change. The move is aimed at developing and pilot a range of effective mechanisms for reducing the impact of climate change induced by coastal erosion in vulnerable regions in the five participating countries.
The five states, The Gambia, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania and Senegal. The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) with counter funding from governments of the participating countries.
Speaking at the occasion, Dr Almamy Camara of UNDP stated that in Africa climate change is already having profound and irreversible impacts on economic, social and environmental systems.
He said: “This is increasingly becoming apparent from the prevalence of and intensity in the occurrence of natural imbalances and climate related disasters on the continent, including recurrent droughts, floods, erratic rainfalls and other similar extreme weather events that threaten human health and infrastructure, agricultural production and food security, water, land and biodiversity, all of which are key to human survival and economic development.”
Dr Camara said UNDP is aware of the fact that The Gambia’s coastal area is a highly productive ecosystem of significant marine biodiversity which underpins a significant portion of livelihood opportunities of the coastal communities.
He said, with its low-lying coast, The Gambia is vulnerable to the effects of climate change such as coastal erosion which is one of the most serious environmental problems facing the country.
Nyada Yorro Baldeh, permanent secretary ministry of Forestry and Environment in Gambia, said climate change has become a global concern because of its expected consequences, impacts and the associated environmental hazards. “These expected consequences of climate change are broadly categorized as: increase in air temperature; sea level rise from the thermal expansion of oceans; and changes in precipitation patterns,” he stated
According to him, The Gambia’s coastline is generally low-lying with Banjul projected to sink with a mere 1m rise in sea level. The destruction of infrastructure aside, numerous livelihoods and economic activities will be lost, further entrenching poverty and seriously weakening the national economy.
“We are already facing serious coastal erosion problems, which could very well be attributed to climate change. These indications are indeed causes for concern that require concerted efforts by government, its institutional partners and individuals”, he said.
Baldeh expressed hope that after the completion of the project, in addition to the integration of climate change and adaptation issues into national laws and policies.
He added that poor practices such as constructing in high risk zones will be greatly reduced as a result of a highly informed public on matters of climate change and associated consequences. “It is also hoped that vital biodiversity within the coastal and marine environment will be preserved as a result of less human interference in the natural processes of these systems, which is vital to increasing the resilience of the systems to anticipated climate change,” the Permanent secretary concluded.
Momodou B Sarr, National Environment Agency (NEA) executive director, noted that we might have heard that over and over our nations are some of the most vulnerable countries to the impacts of climate change in Africa. This project, he said, offers a very welcomed life-line to grab and reduce these vulnerabilities to the effects of climate change, while at the same time increase adaptive capacity to climate change. “I therefore enjoin all our partners present to come forward and make this project a success,” he urged.
He added that this project is not being implemented by NEA alone, noting that the basic implementation requirements have clearly stated the importance of stakeholder participation and the replication of good practices in other parts of the country or even within the region. “Everyone is therefore invited, government institutions - NGOs, CBOs, private sectors, coastal village committees as well as the mass media,” he concluded.
Pa Ousman Jarju, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) focal point to The Gambia, revealed that the climate change scenario for the West Africa region includes an anticipated increase in mean surface temperature of up to 0.5C per decade, increased evapotranspiration, increased rainfall variability and intensity, accelerated sea level rise of around 1m per century as well as increase in sea level rise leading to salt water intrusion, floods and coastal erosion. These, he added, constitute a significant threat to the West Africa region.
The destruction of human infrastructure and the destabilization of rich ecosystem from high sea level rise could be very significant, and could result in serious damage. “This could cause loss of livelihoods of coastal vulnerable groups from Benin, Senegal, The Gambia to Guinea Bissau”, he said.
http://www.africanews.com/site/ECOWAS_launches_climate_change_project/list_messages/24382
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