Mining – India 1
1. 28 lakh seized in mineral-rich Champua constituency 1
2. Coal materialisation up in Madhya Pradesh 3
3. Coal India-NTPC to enter into fuel supply pact soon 3
4. Sesa Goa eyes control of Brazilian mine 5
5. Patwari advised to report illegal mining: Rajput 6
6. HC notice to Adani Group for mining land near Tiger Reserve 6
7. Bangalore: Mining Scam - HC Orders Survey of Mining Regions 7
8. Illegal sand mining intensifies in Ithikkara 8
9. Panchpatmali mine restarts operations after Maoist attack 8
Mining – International 9
10. Mining giants to combine power 9
11. Mining communities want to resume dialogue with companies 11
12. Churchill Mining short-listed for power plant deal 12
13. Kirkland launches mining at South Mine complex 12
14. Malawi right watchdog, Catholic Church voice on Uranium mine 13
15. Surigao mine on hold, says Manila Mining 15
16. Protected forests facing underground mining threat 16
Other News – India 17
17. BJP woos jobless, promises to extend NREGA to Delhi 18
18. 375 million to be hit by climate change by 2015 18
19. Study: Soot is second major source of global warming 20
20. Indigenous people serve as guardians of forest carbon, must be involved in climate solutions 21
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Mining – India
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28 lakh seized in mineral-rich Champua constituency
Staff Reporter
Police seize money from a vehicle of supporters of Independent
There are 14 Independents among 22 contestants in the fray
BHUBANESWAR: Apprehensions about huge flow of money for electioneering in the mineral rich Champua Assembly Constituency in Keonjhar district turned out to be true when police seized Rs. 28.48 lakh cash meant for allegedly buying voters from a jeep.
According to office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Orissa, the sub-divisional police officer of Champua and inspector in-charge of Champua police station had seized Rs 28.48 lakhs from the vehicle at Champua Gandhi Chhak on late evening of Monday.
“Supporters of one Independent candidate contesting from Champua assembly constituency namely Kusa Apat were present in the vehicle,” CEO office said.
It said along with Rs. 28.48 lakh cash a register containing details of persons, who would have distributed the money to voters in six gram panchayats, had been seized. “The cash was deposited in sub-treasury at Champua and steps were taken to file case against the accused persons,” the CEO office said in a statement.
Champua Assembly constituency was changed to general category from Scheduled Tribe during the delimitation process that attracted many influential candidates to fight from the seat.
As many as 22 candidates, 14 of them are independents, have plunged into electoral battle.
So many candidates fighting from one Assembly seat is a record in the poll history of Orissa.
Many candidates have interests mining trade and possess ability to mobilise huge resources.
As per the affidavits, four candidates have shown their property worth more than Rs. 1 crore, which is a record for any constituency for having so many numbers of crorepatis.
Star campaigners
Even Bollywood stars like Suneel Shetty and Raveena Tandon had come a long way from Mumbai to campaign for an Independent candidate in Champua which on other days often become inaccessible due to presence of thousands of iron ore laden trucks on roads.
During campaigning, these stars had to tread on bumpy roads braving polluting dusts and scorching heat, all for an independent candidate.
Meanwhile, the CEO office dismissed reports that a cash of Rs 5.10 lakhs seized from Hotel Holiday Resort, Puri had been released. Sanjay Das Burma, an influential youth Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader, who is fighting from Brahmagiri Assembly segment was found in the hotel room during seizure of money. In a section of media, it was reported that the seized money was released.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/04/22/stories/2009042252930300.htm
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Coal materialisation up in Madhya Pradesh
Shashikant Trivedi / New Delhi/ Bhopal April 22, 2009, 0:57 IST
The materialisation of coal in Madhya Pradesh has gone up during the last three year, according to data released by Western Coalfields Limited.
Last month, state chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his party alleged that the state was facing coal shortage. Chouhan even made the “man-made coal shortage” a poll plank and launched ‘coal satyagrah’ at the Pathakheda coal mines, near Sarni thermal power station.
WCL has also said the Madhya Pradesh State Electricity Board owes Rs 115.57 crore as on March 31, 2009, to it.
“During 2006-07, the WCL coal-linkage to MPSEB was 8.16 million tonne (mt) while the actual dispatch was 6.66 mt and coal materialisation 81.7 per cent. The linkage was down to 8 mt in 2007-08, the dispatch declined to 6.58 mt while materialisation was up 82.17 per cent. The linkage further went down to 7.36 mt while the dispatch was up 6.89 mt and materialisation increased to 93.55 per cent,” said a senior WCL official.
“Materialisation has, in fact, increased 11.38 percent during 2008-09,” he added.
There are 33 mines in the state of which 22 are underground, 7 opencast and 4 are mixed mines. The combined capacity of these mines 6.74 mt for 2008-09, according to the Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited.
WCl is planning to close as many as eight mines, including the Pathakheda mine, but at the same time would create eight more. Madhya Pradesh is one of the leading clients of WCL and contributes 16-17 percent to its turnover, said the official.
At present, 7.32 mt of coal is available in Madhya Pradesh. This is likely to decline to 6.54 mt by 2010-11 and further to 5.8 million tonne by 2013-14.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/coal-materialisationin-madhya-pradesh/355809/
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Coal India-NTPC to enter into fuel supply pact soon
Jayajit Dash / Kolkata/ Bhubaneswar April 22, 2009, 0:43 IST
Coal India Limited and the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) are set to sign the Fuel Supply Agreement (FSA) by the end of this month, ending months of tussle over the pact, especially over the issue of trigger level of coal.
All outstanding issues pertaining to the FSA between CIL and NTPC had been resolved and both the entities were set to sign the pact by the end of this month, a highly placed CIL official told Business Standard.
The official further said that apart from NTPC, the different state power utilities were also expected to ink the FSA with CIL and the Central Electricity Authority was taking the lead in this matter.
It may be noted that three different state power utilities have already signed the FSA with CIL. The other power utilities were awaiting the signing of FSA between CIL and NTPC.
Though FSA was introduced in the New Coal Distribution Policy of the Union coal ministry in 2007, the agreement was delayed mainly on account of the deadlock between CIL and NTPC over the contentious issue of trigger level of coal.
After months of dithering, CIL had at last agreed to raise the trigger level to 90 per cent which was in accordance with the demands of NTPC and other power plants in the country. Trigger level is the minimum assured level of coal supply and offtake, failing which both the coal supplier and the consumer would attract penalty.
The demand to raise the trigger level to 90 per cent was made by the power producers amidst inadequate coal supplies which had slipped many power plants in the country into the critical and super critical states with coal stocks of less than seven days and four days respectively.
After the signing of the FSA between CIL and the different power producers, including NTPC, the coal stock position at the power generating stations was expected to improve as the long-term pact between the producers and the consumers was aimed at ensuring a dedicated supply of fuel.
However, the CIL official warned that the power plants would continue to reel under critical and super-critical conditions with respect to coal stock if they did not import their balance requirement of coal in sync with their rising power production.
According to the data compiled by CEA (as on April 12 this year) on the coal stock position, 13 large power stations were facing super-critical state with coal stock of less than four days while eight other power plants were in critical condition with coal stock of less than seven days.
While pit-head power plants in the country were expected to maintain coal stock of at least 15 days, the power stations located away from the mines were to have coal stocks of 21-30 days.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/coal-india-ntpc-to-enter-into-fuel-supply-pact-soon/355882/
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Sesa Goa eyes control of Brazilian mine
22 Apr 2009, 0004 hrs IST, MV Ramsurya, ET Bureau
MUMBAI: Sesa Goa, India’s largest iron ore exporter, is exploring options of bidding for the controlling stake in an iron ore mine that has been
put on the block by Brazil’s mining exploration company GME4. The mine, owned jointly by geologist Joao Carlos Cavalcanti of GME4 and Banco Opportunity, has reserves of 800 million tonnes and is valued at about $2.4 billion.
When contacted, Sesa Goa managing director PK Mukherjee said: “We keep looking at all opportunities... even in this case, we’ll evaluate all factors before taking any final call.” Sesa Goa, part of LSE-listed Vedanta Resources, has cash reserves of about Rs 4,100 crore and is keen to grow its presence. GME4 is expected to start a global roadshow soon to sell the majority stake in the mine which is located in the north-eastern state of Piaui.
Credit Suisse is learnt to be advising GME4 on the sale of stake, for which there could likely be participation of global mining majors, said persons close to the development. Sesa Goa shares ended on Tuesday down 0.8% at Rs 115.30 on the BSE on a day when the broader index was down 0.7% due to weak global cues and lack of any special triggers in RBI’s credit policy.
For three years till the early part of 2008, iron ore prices were firm and started falling only due to the slowing demand stemming from the worldwide recession and a cut in demand from China, the world’s largest market. Low prices of ore and the resulting drop in valuations have now forced most companies to revive acquisition plans.
Iron ore accounts for about 65% of the total cost in steel making and ownership of ores would reduce costs for making steel, a metal that is widely-used in making consumer goods and cars. Mr Mukherjee said one of the major factors before making any decision in Brazil is the logistics cost.
“Brazil has adequate iron ore mines, but logistics is not always convenient,” he added. A majority of the transport infrastructure in Brazil is owned by mining major CVRD which discourages potential bidders from coming to the country as they would have to pay for moving the ore from the mine to either the market or the ports, said persons close to the development.
Analysts tracking the iron ore industry said production costs at GME4 is estimated at $21 to $23 per tonne, which is competitively priced. Three years ago, GME4 had sold iron ore mine in the neighbouring state of Bahia in Brazil to a representative of steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal for $360 million.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News-by-Industry/Sesa-Goa-eyes-Brazilian-mine/articleshow/4431965.cms
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Patwari advised to report illegal mining: Rajput
Apr 21st, 2009 at 9:00 pm | By NVO Bureau | Category: News, himachal
Nahan: Patwaris of the district had been advised to report any incident of illegal mining in their areas to the concerned officers or departments. Industry, Forest, PWD and IPH departments in addition to the concerned SDM, BDO, Area Magistrate and SHO were given powers and authority to stop illegal mining in their areas. Illegal mining is a severe threat to the environment and all the concerned departments and officers should co-ordinate against it.
This was stated by deputy commissioner Pushpendra Rajput here today at Nahan while holding a meeting of mining officers.
Rajput said that 64 cases of illegal mining were detected during the last financial year, out of which 39 were compounded. Six notices were served and Rs. 5.5lacs were realized. 19 cases were filed in the court, out of which two were decided and penalty to the tune of Rs. 3000 was imposed on the defaulters.
http://nvonews.com/2009/04/21/patwari-advised-to-report-illegal-mining-rajput/
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HC notice to Adani Group for mining land near Tiger Reserve
21 Apr 2009, 1618 hrs IST, PTI
NAGPUR: The Bombay High Court has issued a notice to Adani Group for mining coal in 1,750 hectares of land at Lohara village in Chandrapur
district closely located to buffer zone of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve.
Adani has been alloted coal blocks there for its Tiroda (Bhandara) power plant.
A division bench of Bombay High Court here comprising of Justice Dilip Sinha and Justice Ashok Bhangale, yesterday decided to treat a letter it received from an environmental group as Public Interest Litigation (PIL) and directed the authorities to submit actual position.
The consul for petitioner Neeraj Khandewale contended that the 1,750 hectares of land situated at Lohara village, alloted for mining to Adani Group, was posing danger to the Tiger Reserve as the area has been declared as "critical tiger habitat" by the concerned authorities.
Tiger population is already dwindling and the mining project will further restrict free movement of wild animals in the tiger corridor across Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, the petition alleged.
The mining activities will not only pose threat to the tiger population but also to the flora and fauna and would adversely affect free movement of wild animals in the area.
The High Court bench was informed that Chandrapur district was already facing air pollution from Cement factories and Thermal power plants.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/Indl-Goods--Svs/Metals--Mining/HC-notice-to-Adani-Group-for-mining-land-near-Tiger-Reserve/articleshow/4430187.cms
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Bangalore: Mining Scam - HC Orders Survey of Mining Regions
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SP)
Bangalore, Apr 22: On Monday April 20, the state High Court passed orders, directing the Indian Bureau of Mines and Survey of India to conduct a joint survey of the mining areas of Bellary district, to unearth encroachment of mining land if any, at Tumti village on the state's border with Andhra Pradesh. The High Court said, the survey should be conducted in the presence of officials from both the states and that a report thereof should be submitted by June 8.
This order was issued in pursuance of a writ petition filed by a mine owner Narayana Reddy, alleging that a miner from Karnataka had encroached upon his mining area in the state by removing the border stone standing between the two states. The said mines owner, a state minister, had obtained licence from Andhra Pradesh in the name of Obalapuram Mining Company, he said in his petition.
The court directed Reddy not to transport iron mined in the disputed land till a final decision is arrived at. The order was passed by a division bench of the High Court, comprising of Chief Justice P D Dinakaran and Justice C G Sabhahit. The court also asked the forest department and the department of mines to identify the undisputed lands.
http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=59130&n_tit=Bangalore%3A+Mining+Scam+-+HC+Orders+Survey+of+Mining+Regions
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Illegal sand mining intensifies in Ithikkara
Express News Service
First Published : 22 Apr 2009 10:23:20 AM IST
Last Updated : 22 Apr 2009 11:32:41 AM IST
KOLLAM: Unauthorised sand mining from the Ithikkara river has been intensified in the areas of Chathannoor and Pallimon.
The mechanised sand mining by employing workers from other states is posing danger to the environment and the bridges across the river at Ithikkara, Kummallur and Kundumon.
In the areas of sand mining, the problem of drinking water shortage has also become worse, particularly during the summer. Unauthorised sand mining is going on in at least 10 places in the Ithikkara river within a distance of five kilometers from Kummallur and Pallimon to Meenadu. By using motors having 2 to 5 hp, sand is mined from the deep spots in the river. In some areas the river banks are also being razed down. Sand mining is also taking place in the paddy fields. Consequently, the wells in the nearby areas are getting dried.
The sand mafia took advantage of the election days since the police and Revenue officials had been deployed for election duty. Even after the polling, the situation has not been changed. Environmentalists allege that a section of the police force are acting in collusion with the sand mafia.
The occasional raids conducted by the police have become a farce as the sand mafias are getting the information in advance, they said.
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Illegal+sand+mining+intensifies+in+Ithikkara+river&artid=SU98ec5NIHY=&SectionID=lMx/b5mt1kU=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=tm2kh5uDhixGlQvAG42A/07OVZOOEmts&SEO=
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Panchpatmali mine restarts operations after Maoist attack
Apr 22nd, 2009 | By Sindh Today | Category: UnCat, World
Bhubaneswar, April 22 (IANS) State-owned National Aluminium Co Ltd (NALCO) Wednesday restarted operations at Orissa’s Panchpatmali mine, which suspended production after the April 12 Maoist attack, a company official said.
“We have restarted mining operations amid tight security and have resumed normal production,” NALCO’s director (production) P.K. Rautray told IANS.
District Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar said security personnel had thoroughly scanned the mine area and declared them safe.
At least 10 security personnel and four Maoist rebels were killed in a gun battle at the company’s bauxite mine at Panchpatmali, some 370 km from here April 12.
Over 100 armed rebels had laid siege to the mine, took around 60 mine workers as hostage and attacked a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) camp. They had also looted explosives from a depot the CISF personnel were guarding.
NALCO is Asia’s largest integrated aluminium producer. The bauxite from Panchpatmali mine feeds the refinery at Damanjodi town located nearby.
The mine produces about 50,000 tonnes of raw materials daily. As a result of the suspension of the operation, the company suffered a loss of about 150,000 tonnes over the past 10 days.
However, it had no impact on the refinery because it had adequate stocks. NALCO will make up the losses in the next few weeks, officials said.
http://www.sindhtoday.net/world/89815.htm
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Mining – International
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Mining giants to combine power
Adam Morton
April 22, 2009
AUSTRALIA'S big miners are pushing for a merger of 11 industry bodies in a bid to cut costs and centralise lobbying power under the Minerals Council of Australia.
Organisations targeted under the plan include the Australian Coal Association, the Australian Aluminium Council, the Australian Uranium Association and state and territory minerals councils.
A letter signed by chief executives at 11 companies, including BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Xstrata, says it would "improve national consistency" and reduce a combined operating cost topping $45 million a year.
"Quite simply, we will not continue funding organisations as separate entities to the Minerals Council of Australia as we have previously," it says.
Sent on the eve of Easter, the letter has angered some industry bodies and their junior member companies.
Most declined to speak, but industry insiders said they feared concentrating power in Canberra would strip some commodities of representation and deny others a strong voice at state level, where much of their business lies.
Tony Fawdon, executive chairman of minerals explorer Diatreme, said the Queensland Resources Council had been crucial in the industry winning $50 million from its State Government in 2006.
He said the national minerals council sat in an ivory tower with little idea of what happened at state level.
"Frankly, I don't think the (minerals council) is going to have any practicality at all — the bigger the company, the bigger the chamber, the less hands-on the practitioners are at the top of it," he said. "How are you going to cut up a very, very thin cake of funding across the states?"
Minerals Council chief executive Mitch Hooke said the plan was a commonsense approach that would "enhance regional capacity, not diminish it".
He said the states would continue to be represented by branches within the national council, as Victoria had been since a merger in 2004. The Northern Territory Resources Council had already volunteered to take part.
"The goal is alignment of advocacy, the goal is improved efficiency and effectiveness," Mr Hooke said. "If Victoria is anything to go by, the regions are richer for working within the national secretariat while maintaining autonomy to deal with the state issues."
Mr Fawdon said this meant little: the Victorian minerals council was "pretty toothless", unlike its counterparts in Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.
Mr Hooke will convene an implementation committee to be chaired by former Newmont executive Paul Dowd.
Other companies backing the plan are Anglo Coal, Downer EDI, Barrick Gold, Minara Resources, Newcrest Mining, Ausminerals, Thiess and Newmont Asia Pacific.
Several industry bodies declined to comment.
http://business.theage.com.au/business/mining-giants-to-combine-power-20090421-ae3x.html
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Mining communities want to resume dialogue with companies
The mining communities want to resume dialogue with companies
Last Updated: Wednesday, 22 April 2009, 6:11 GMT Previous Page People in mining communities affected by mining operations have called on mining companies in these areas to resume dialogue aimed at addressing environmental and social problems arising out of their mining activities.
The companies are the Anglogold Ashanti and Anglogold Obuasi and some of the communities in which they operate are Jenafo, Odumasi, Hia, Hiampenika, Kronko, Anwiam Anyankyirew.
They said in a resolution that despite the show of support for the process and the clear willingness by the communities to make it work, Anglogold for instance, has on several occasions unilaterally broken off contact.
They said their disappointment stemmed from the company’s foot dragging attitude towards the dialogue initiated by the Wasa Communities Affected by Mining (WACAM).
They accused the company of “deliberately stalling the process” to buy time and “thereby frustrate all efforts aimed at getting it to accept responsibility for its environmental and social problems resulting from their operations.”
Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in an interview, Mr Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, Director of WACAM, said it was not true that Newmont Ghana Gold had not succeeded in getting WACAM to dialogue on environmental issues.
He said he had had several meetings with the company at all levels of management specifically in Accra, Newmont Ahafo Mining and Newmont Akyem Project.
He said WACAM, in conjunction with FIAN, a German non-governmental organisation, had a dialogue with Anglogold Aduaperim Mine during which they developed an action plan to resolve the problems.
These include building of schools, scholarships for the youth in the area, boreholes and other social amenities.
He commended the good role Mr John Opoku, Chairman of the monitory advisor group of the action plan, had played in reducing the school drop out rate in Budukrom and Wangarakrom.
Mr Owusu-Koranteng also commended Ms Anna Bossman, Acting Chairman of the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice, for ensuring that the rights of people in the communities are not abused.
http://news.myjoyonline.com/news/200904/29066.asp
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Churchill Mining short-listed for power plant deal
Tue 21 Apr 2009
LONDON (SHARECAST) - Coal miner Churchill Mining said its subsidiary Indonesia Coal Development has been selected as a prospective thermal coal supplier to Indonesian firm Cirebon Electric Power, which is building a 660 megawatt power plant in West Java.
Indonesia Coal Development is developing the East Kutai Coal Project in the East Kalimantan province of Indonesia.
Cirebon has previously indicated that the plant will require up to 3m tons of coal a year, Churchill said.
“It is a significant milestone for Churchill to have been selected as a potential supplier of coal to PT Cirebon Electric Power's West Java power plant when it is commissioned in 2011,” said Churchill Mining chief executive Paul Mazak.
“With such a large and growing resource at our East Kutai Coal Project, Churchill Mining is more than capable of meeting the considerable demand that the plant requires.”
http://www.sharecast.com/cgi-bin/sharecast/story.cgi?story_id=2727867
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Kirkland launches mining at South Mine complex
2009-04-22 15:10:00
OTTAWA: Kirkland Lake Gold said that it has launched mining at its South Mine complex with updated production outlook.
Harry Dobson, Kirkland Gold chairman, said: "The operating team did a superb job recruiting, hiring and putting to work 150 new miners and underground workers in just two months."
He announced that production costs for March 2009, the first month of increased activity, were C$238 (£132) per tonne, below the firm's target figure of C$250 per tonne.
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Kirkland Lake Gold has set a production target at the South Mine complex of 100,000 ounces for the May 2009 to May 2010 fiscal year and has hired additional workers for the property.
Based in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, the gold mining company owns a portfolio of properties that have historically produced around 22 million ounces of gold in the Southern Abitibi Greenstone Belt of Canada.
http://www.commodityonline.com/goldnews/Kirkland-launches-mining-at-South-Mine-complex-2009-04-22-17118-3-1.html
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Malawi right watchdog, Catholic Church voice on Uranium mine
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Nyasa Times 22 April, 2009 01:40:00
Malawi's Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace has accused Australian-based uranium miner Paladin Energy of back tracking on pledges to the people of the Karonga region where it operates the Kayelekera Uranium Mine.
The commission, a human rights arm of the Roman Catholic Church, has called for a meeting with the miners and traditional chiefs after accusing the energy company of not doing enough to protect water sources from uranium deposits.
The group fears the deposits could pollute Lake Malawi, one of Africa's fresh water areas and the third largest lake on the continentAnd the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) has called for the review of all mining agreements including reviewing of the whole mining tax regime.
President Bingu wa Mutharika on February 17 commissioned the uranium mine at Kayelekera in Karonga.
“We are aware that Malawi still lacks appropriate policy and legal framework for mining and handling of radioactive materials like uranium, although government has taken further steps in coming up with a reviewed legislation.
“Since this is only the beginning of large scale mining operations in Malawi, we at CHRR hope that in future proper procedures will need to be followed in granting mining licenses to prospective mining companies,” said CHRR head Undule Mwakasungula in a media statement e-mailed to Nyasa Times.
Mwakasungula said CHRR applauds the Mutharika administration for displaying strong political will to promote mining ventures in the country also hailed the government for creating “a favourable environment for foreign investors such as Paladin (Africa) Limited to come and invest in extractive industry which has not been exploited for a long period of time.”
Kayelekera uranium mining project is expected to earn the country about US$ 200 million a year.
“We at CHRR take note that while this is commendable, we call on the current government and any incoming government after the May19 polls, to ensure that the revenue realised from this project are channelled into the country’s long-term development programmes for the benefit of Malawians,” said the rights campaigners.
The rights group pointed out that the ultimate aim should be to ensure that people of Malawi benefit from their mineral wealth without looking at regions or political affiliation.
“But one practical step to achieving this end is to seal any loopholes that may still be there in regard to achieving sustainable development though mining. This, we believe, can only be done by reviewing all mining agreements made so for by the government on behalf of the people of Malawi,” says the statement.
“Much as the following legislation guides mining sector; the Environmental Management Act of 1996, the Mines and Minerals Act of 1981, the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act, 1983 and the Explosives Act, 1968, it is however unfortunate to note that there is still no policy framework or instruments to guide resource revenue collection, usage and auditing. “We also take note that Malawi further faces challenges in policy implementation due to insufficient capacity to monitor and ensure compliance with domestic legislation and international best practice standards,"said CHRR.
The rights watchdog also noted that uranium mining, whether well-regulated or not poses serious risks to human health and the environment.
Rights group is therefore calling for the enactment of legislation to regulate the mining and handling of radioactive materials like uranium as soon as possible before any serious mining is conducted.
CHRR recommend review of the mining contracts signed between government and all mining companies in order to seal any loopholes that may prevent the people of this country from benefiting from the project.
“We also strongly call for a review of the mining tax regime to guarantee optimal benefit for the people of Malawi, who will probably suffer the harmful effects of radiation and environmental damages for many years to come.”
CHRR noted that a report jointly released last month by Action Aid International, Christian Aid, Third World Network Africa, Tax Justice Network African and Southern Africa Resource Watch, which indicates that even with its 15 percent stake, the government of Malawi will forego revenues of up to US$124 million in the mine’s anticipated eleven year life span.
“This is an enormous amount which could be used to combat poverty in the country. CHRR is, therefore, calling any incoming government after the May 19 polls to revenue the mining tax regime to ensure that the country fully benefits from its mineral wealth.”
The research report also revealed how mining companies routinely deprive African countries of huge amounts of tax revenue. Some of the methods they use, according to the report, include: Forcing governments to grant tax subsidies and concessions by threatening to go elsewhere if they are not forthcoming; Insisting mining contracts signed with governments remain secret and using the secrecy to pursue tax avoidance strategies and false accounting to enable companies to artificially depress profits to evade tax.
“And for the purpose of transparency and accountability, CHRR is also demanding Publish What You Pay system, whereby every penny that Paladin and any mining company pay to government plus any other services rendered to citizens should be published in the papers.
“It is not a secret that most foreign mining companies use all sorts of tactics in order to pay as little tax as possible in countries where they are operating. And as a country, we need to stand firm and guard against such abuse of our resources by foreign companies,” reads the statement.
To ensure that the country fully benefits from mining operations in the country, CHRR are calling for the strengthening of laws regarding extractive industry including mining.
“Efforts should also be made to the capacity of the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) to ensure compliance of tax laws.
“In addition, mining contracts and tax revenues need to be subjected to rigorous parliamentary scrutiny to improve accountability. It is no secret that Malawi mining fiscal regime is extremely generous to investors and provides the lowest revenues to the government.”
CHRR also call for the passing of legislation to guide resource revenue collection, usage and auditing in the country.
http://www.nyasatimes.com/national/3291.html
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Surigao mine on hold, says Manila Mining
LISTED MANILA Mining Corp. will wait for economic conditions to rebound before moving forward with its gold and copper mine in Surigao del Norte, the head of the company said yesterday.
"[The Kalayaan mine] is on hold and so far we have not done anything at the moment," Felipe U. Yap, chairman and chief executive officer of Manila Mining, told reporters.
In November last year, Anglo American Philippines Holdings B.V. terminated a partnership with the miner in exploring the Kalayaan claim due to resistance from the local government and residents.
Under a 2007 agreement, the local unit of Australian miner Anglo American Plc., was to spend for the exploration of the 286.6-hectare property.
Anglo American already spent $10.82 million to drill 11 holes in 18 months.
Anglo had also withdrawn from the adjacent Boyongan gold and copper mine of Philex Mining Corp., claiming it was not bankable.
Philex wants to start commercial operations at Boyongan by 2014 to extend the company’s operations by up to 20 more years after its Padcal mine in Benguet gets exhausted.
Mr. Yap said that if Philex wants to acquire Kalayaan, "we are open [to negotiations]... our style is simple, we either we become partner or sell the mine."
Manila Mining is seeking to renew its environmental permit, which expired early this year.
The mining firm cut its net losses last year by more than half to P132.037 million from P276.979 million in 2007.
http://www.bworldonline.com/BW042209/content.php?id=046
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Protected forests facing underground mining threat
Alfian , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Wed, 04/22/2009 12:34 PM | Headlines
The government is soon to issue a presidential regulation allowing mining companies to mine underground in protected forest areas, despite a recent report by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) highlighting poor management of mining operations by some mining companies.
Bambang Setiawan, director general for coal, minerals and geothermal at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, said Monday evening that the presidential regulation was important as it would bring new legal certainties to underground mining operations.
"This regulation will not violate the existing law *the Forestry Law*, which only forbids open-pit mining in forests, not underground mining," Bambang said.
Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Purnomo Yusgiantoro said that underground mining might be very costly, but would be worth the investment. "No problems with the higher cost as long as it provides higher profits," Purnomo said.
He added several protected forest areas were predicted to contain high reserves of coal and minerals. "Take the example of forests in Kalimantan, *where* the areas are estimated to contain huge reserves of coal."
Purnomo and Bambang did not specify when the regulation would be issued, saying only that this was under the president's authority.
Separately BPK lambasted the management of some mining operations in its audit report on coal mining management during the 2006-2007 fiscal years.
It found as many as 212 cases of irregularities in coal mining management with potential state losses reaching Rp 2.69 trillion, along with another US$778.8 million, in total.
Losses reflected halts in reclamation collateral payments by 60 mining contract (KP) holders in Kutai, East Kalimantan; 30 KP holders in Tanah Laut, South Kalimantan; and Coal Contracts of Work (PKP2B) holders PT KJA and PT MSJ.
The total amount of the halted payments reached $3.18 million and Rp 127.25 billion in total, with BPK claiming this would burden state budgets if the contractors failed to fulfill their reclamation obligations.
The audit found that 61 KP holders and 5 PKP2B contract holders did not properly manage the top soil and overburden in open cast mining areas, which could cause landslides, or erosion and reduce soil fertility.
BPK said all these irregularities were caused by a combination of policy weaknesses along with non-compliance by mining companies.
In response, Bambang said that most of the irregularities were found in KPs that were issued by regional governments. "We are conducting an internal evaluation on the BPK's findings," he said.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/04/22/protected-forests-facing-underground-mining-threat.html
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Other News – India
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BJP woos jobless, promises to extend NREGA to Delhi
Press Trust Of India
New Delhi, April 21, 2009
The BJP on Tuesday said if the party came to power it would extend the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to select cities including Delhi within 100 days of forming the government.
Senior BJP leader V K Malhotra said “unemployment” is the “biggest issue” facing the country and BJP would extend the provision of the scheme beyond rural areas.
“If we come to power, we will extend the schemes to various cities within 100 days,” he told reporters.
Malhotra said many people have committed suicide in Delhi after losing their jobs and if the party came to power, it would introduce the scheme in the city on a priority basis.
“We will implement the scheme in Delhi too as thousands of people have lost their jobs in the last couple of months in Delhi,” he said.
Malhotra also criticised the UPA government for not extending the scheme across all areas in the country. “When you say it is a national scheme its benefit should reach all the areas.”
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) which was enacted in 2005, provides a legal guarantee for one hundred days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household.
The scheme was initially implemented in 200 districts in the country and later it was extend to all the districts of the country.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/election09/storypage.aspx?id=852a42ad-873e-48a1-a846-157228905fe0&category=Chunk-HT-UI-Elections-SectionPage-TopStories
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375 million to be hit by climate change by 2015
New Delhi (PTI): An international voluntary agency has predicted the number of people affected by climate change disaster to rise by 133 million to 375 million a year on an average by 2015, threatening to overwhelm the humanitarian aid system.
"The projected rise is mainly due to a combination of entrenched poverty and people migrating to densely populated slums which are prone to the increasing number of climatic events," the international agency Oxfam said today.
This is compounded by the political failure to address these risks and a humanitarian system which is unfit for purpose, the NGO said in its report, The Right to Survive, adding that the "world needs to re-engineer the way it responds to, prepare for and prevents disasters."
It said the projection has been on the basis of the data of 6,500 climate-related disasters since 1980.
"This does not include people hit by other disasters such as wars, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Just dealing with the increased numbers the world need to increase its humanitarian aid spending from 2006 levels of US dollar 14.2 billion to at least US dollar 25 billion a year," the report pointed out.
Even this increase - the equivalent of only US dollar 50 per affected person - is still woefully inadequate to meet their basic needs, it added.
"The humanitarian system works as if it's a global card game dealing out aid randomly, not based on people's needs. The response is often fickle - too little, too late and not good enough.
"The world barely copes with the current level of disasters. A big increase in the numbers of people affected will overwhelm it unless there is fundamental reform of the system that puts those in need at its centre," said Oxfam India CEO, Nisha Agrawal.
Lamenting that aid is often given on the basis of political or other preferences making it unfair, she asserted that the global humanitarian system needs to act swiftly and impartially after a disaster.
For instance, Agarwal said, in 2004, an average of US dollar 1,241 was spent for each victim of the Asian tsunami, while an average of only US dollar 23 was spent per person affected by the humanitarian crisis in Chad.
National governments, with the help of the global community, need to invest more in reducing the risk of disasters. And as climate change gathers pace, this trend is likely to continue to increase well beyond 2015.
Rich countries must commit to cut greenhouse gas emissions in order to keep global warming as far below 2°C as possible, and to provide at least US dollar 50 billion a year to help poor countries adapt to unavoidable climate change, she added.
"While there has been a steady increase in climate related events, it is poverty and political indifference that make a storm a disaster," said Agrawal.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/008200904221422.htm
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Study: Soot is second major source of global warming
Submitted by Mitra Pathak on Tue, 04/21/2009 - 10:47.
Soot or black carbon from mud cooking stoves, used in tens of thousands of villages in India, are turning out to be one of the main causes of global warming - says one of the world's leading climate scientists, Veerabhadran Ramanathan. According to a study by Ramanathan, Soot, the second most pernicious gas, after carbon dioxide, is causing 18 percent of the global warming, while carbon dioxide is responsible for 40 percent of carbon dioxide.
Ramanathan, the climate science professor at the US Scripps Institute of Oceanography, working with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in New Delhi, on a project to help poor Indian families acquire new environment friendly stoves, wandered through mud brick huts, containing mud cookstoves, releasing soot into the atmosphere. Ramanathan said, "It's hard to believe that this is what's melting the glaciers."
The study articulates that there are no cars and little electricity, emissions of carbon dioxide, the gas chiefly responsible for global warming, are almost zero, in Kohlua, in central India, but Soot is the major source of global warming there; if carbon dioxide is number one source of global warming, Soot is certainly number two.
According to the climate scientists, controlling the release of black carbon is quick and simple way to control the global warming. According to the scientists, it's like "low hanging fruit" that should be plucked as soon as possible to prevent the harsh consequences of global warming.
Ramanathan has suggested switching over from the primitive cooking stoves to modern versions that release far less soot. Ramanathan said, "It is clear to any person who cares about climate change that this will have a huge impact on the global environment."
The study states that Soot from India has been found in the Maldive islands and on the Tibetan Plateau; from the US, it travels to the Arctic. Ramanathan has warned that Himalayan glaciers are expected to lose 75pct of their ice by 2020.
http://www.topnews.in/study-soot-second-major-source-global-warming-2154553
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Indigenous people serve as guardians of forest carbon, must be involved in climate solutions
mongabay.com
April 22, 2009
Efforts to create an international climate framework — including a carbon financing mechanism for forest conservation — must involve forest people, said indigenous leaders attending the Indigenous Peoples Global Summit on Climate Change meeting this week in Anchorage, Alaska.
Speaking at a press conference organized by The Nature Conservancy in connection with the Summit, Egberto Tabo, General Coordinator of the Coordinating Body of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA), said that indigenous knowledge will play a critical role in addressing climate change.
"For thousands of years, indigenous peoples have been the ones conserving the forests," Tabo said. "Our ancestors talked about climate change. We’ve known for generations that this was going to happen."
"We are the true conservationists. But our role in conserving the forests has not truly been recognized."
Indigenous people serve as guardians of forest carbon throughout the Amazon. Research has shown that deforestation rates in indigenous reserves are considerably lower than in unprotected areas.
Johnson Cerda, a leader of the Quichua community in Ecuador and advisor for Conservation International’s Indigenous and Traditional Peoples Program, agreed that indigenous communities have so far had a limited role in helping shape climate policy.
“Participation is the key element. We cannot only go there as observers. We have knowledge in conservation and based on that knowledge we should participate in these talks."
Cerda said that reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD), a proposed mechanism for compensating countries for protecting forests, could be a powerful tool for indigenous communities to protect themselves against climate impacts, but only if the rights of forest people were recognized.
"In REDD, there must be recognition of local and Indigenous knowledge," Cerda said. "Why under REDD should forests be recognized and not the people have lived there for generations?"
Sarene Marshall, Director of The Nature Conservancy’s Climate Change Program, added that REDD will not work unless indigenous people are part of the development process.
“Reaching an effective climate agreement in Copenhagen this year will require the full and open participation of Indigenous Peoples,” Marshall said. “The benefits of REDD must reach local and Indigenous Peoples. Without those benefits, conservation is not sustainable.”
Joanna Durbin, Director of the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA), said her group is working to develop new forest carbon certification guidelines that ensure that benefits from REDD projects reach Indigenous communities.
"We hope world leaders will adopt a policy framework that supports developing countries, forests, local and indigenous people and biodiversity to benefit from global climate change efforts," she said.
Indigenous claims to forest carbon recently received a boost when the Brazilian Supreme Court reaffirmed the rights of indigenous people to the revenues accrued from the "natural wealth" within their territories. While the decision didn't explicit cite forest carbon, it suggests carbon credits and payments for environmental services generated from their lands are rightfully due to them. Meanwhile a separate legal analysis by Baker & McKenzie and Forest Trends on behalf of the Surui tribe in the state of Acre concluded that Indians indeed own rights to carbon on their lands under Brazilian law.
http://news.mongabay.com/2009/0422-indigenous_people.html
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