Mining – India 1
1. Survey: boundaries of mines missing 1
2. Nalco to resume normal bauxite output 2
3. Coal in place, GMR plans 2,000-Mw thermal plant 3
4. Coal India to up supply to ailing power plants 5
5. 6 mining officials held for accepting bribe 6
6. Plea to implement Lokayukta report on mining 7
7. 'Govt dithering on border survey' 7
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Mining – International 8
8. Bauxite projects get the ministerial thumbs down 8
9. SAfrica mining braces for shake-up 10
10. Constitutionality of mining ban to be challenged at SC 12
11. Uranium hopefuls trim plans 14
12. Move To Scrap Illegal Mining Underway 15
13. Finalise mining legislation, Govt urged 16
14. The role of mining, logging in floods 17
15. Editorial - Coal mining and our children’s future 20
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Other News – India 21
16. Effective implementation of NREGS sought 21
17. Land disputes will be settled in a week: RDC 23
18. Tribals choose wages over wildlife slaughter 24
19. India, U.K. to assess climate change impact 25
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Mining – India
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Survey: boundaries of mines missing
B. Chandrashekhar
ANANTAPUR: Irrespective of the State Government claims that boundaries of all the six iron ore mining leases in H. Siddapuram and Obulapuram village limits in D. Hirehal mandal in Anantapur district are clearly demarcated and safety zone are provided, however, the picture is quite different as several boundary posts (stones) of five mining leases in question are missing for a long time.
Documents prepared by the Forest Department indicate that a few boundary stones were missing in every mining lease.
The 27.12 hectare lease of Bellary Iron Ore Private Ltd., (BIOP) and 25.98 hectare lease of Obulapuram Mining Company Private Ltd., (OMC) of Gali Janardhan Reddy and others are side by side and the missing boundary stones can provide a scope of encroachment.
As per the Forest Department documents representing the ground situation on the eastern side of the BIOP (27.12 ha.) lease is located the OMC-I (25.98 ha.) lease.
Another lease of OMC-II (39.5 ha.) is located next to OMC-I on the latter’s eastern side. The BIOP lease shares a joint boundary with OMC-I to some extent and the boundary mark (stone) 5 of BIOP on its east and boundary mark 6 of OMC-I on its west were missing.
The BIOP lease also shares boundary with Y. Mahabaleshwarappa and Sons (YMS) lease (20.24 ha.) on the former’s northern side, where boundary marks 1 and 2 are missing.
Similarly, the boundary marks 5 and 6 of BIOP on its eastern side and boundary marks 6 and 1 of OMC-I on its western side were also missing.
Sources told The Hindu that some boundary posts get destroyed in the blasting done by the mining companies regularly. The boundary stones of OMC-I on its western side were destroyed in similar conditions.
Meanwhile, in the letter written to the Secretary of Mines, Government of India, by the Secretary of Industries and Commerce, Andhra Pradesh, on April 25, three days after the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) asked Andhra Pradesh to stop mining in five leases till clear demarcation of boundaries was done by the Survey of India, the latter stated that a survey conducted by a high-level committee in January-February 2008 had clearly demarcated the boundaries and there was no need for fresh demarcation.
However, District Forest Officer, Kallol Biswas, carried out a fresh survey in the mining lease on May 8 and 9 apparently to identify the missing boundary posts. He told media that he was acting “on the directions of the State Government”. It is difficult to comprehend why the fresh survey was taken up when the Centre has already been told that a survey conducted by high-level committee was competent. On the other hand, the MoEF told the Supreme Court on May 1 that a fresh survey for demarcation of boundaries would be taken up within six weeks.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/12/stories/2009051260081300.htm
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Nalco to resume normal bauxite output
Dillip Satapathy / Kolkata/ Bhubaneswar May 12, 2009, 0:23 IST
The Naxal hit Panchpatmali mines of National Aluminium Company (Nalco) is likely to resume normal production of bauxite from tomorrow with the scared workers agreeing to work in the mines after the sunset.
Nalco’s average bauxite production Panchapatmali mines in Korpaut district of Orissa had dropped from 14,000 tonnes per day to about 9,000 tonnes per day as the mine workers were reluctant to carry out mining after 5 pm in the aftermath of the Naxalite attack on April 12 which claimed the lives of 10 CISF jawans. The B-shift for the mine employees which was from 2 pm to 10 pm was done away with by Nalco in view of the safety concerns of the workers and the mine workers were now engaged in two shifts- the A shift from 6 am to 2 pm and the general shift from 8 am to 5 pm.
The 35 per cent drop in its bauxite production in the mines had raised the prospect of commensurate cut in alumina production in the company’s 15.75 lakh tonne per annum refinery at Damanjodi where the normal 30-day bauxite stock was depleting alarmingly.
Anticipating an imminent crisis in the operation of the company, the Union mines ministry had convened a high level meeting of the company officials at New Delhi recently where it gave the responsibility of supervising security at the mines and convincing the workers to resume normal production to BL Bagra, the finance director of the company. Earlier these issues were being looked after by Joy Vergese, the director, personnel and administration.
Sources said, Bagra and director production, AK Sharma camped at Panchpatmali mines for last four days and held discussions with various workers/employees union active there. The workers demand mainly pertained to enhancement of security, hike in special allowance and transfer of the mine workers to the different units of the company. The senior company officials reportedly agreed to look into the demands favourably and place it before the appropriate authority for approval.
Following their assurance, the workers gave their verbal commitment to work in the B-shift from tomorrow and accordingly the company has issued the notice for start of the evening shift.
Meanwhile, sources said, as an interim measures, the security has been strengthened at the mines with deployment of more CISF personnel and increasing the frequency of patrolling, particularly after sunset to bring confidence among the employees. It may be noted Nalco, which has a total of 417 CISF personnel posted at mining and refinery complex, proposes to increase the strength to 682. The company is also mulling to cover its mines workers under a group insurance scheme and carve out an exclusive security department within its mines and alumina refinery complex which would monitor the functioning of the CISF forces.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/nalco-to-resume-normal-bauxite-output/357742/
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Coal in place, GMR plans 2,000-Mw thermal plant
Mahesh Kulkarni & Ravi Menon / Bangalore May 12, 2009, 1:12 IST
GMR Energy, a subsidiary of Bangalore-based infrastructure company GMR Infrastructure Ltd, is planning to set up a 2,000-Mw thermal power plant near a port on the west coast. The company has already tied up coal supplies by acquiring a mine for $100 million in Indonesia last year.
A Subbarao, chief finance officer, GMR Group, said total investments in the power project were yet to be ascertained. “The investments will be decided on the basis of the capacity of the power plant. Typically, a 1,000-Mw thermal power plant requires an investment of Rs 4,500 crore,” he told Business Standard.
Although the company has not finalised the location of the plant, it would like to have it close to key consumption centres in Maharashtra and Gujarat, where demand for power is high.
GMR Energy is in the process of identifying prospective locations along the east coast for the proposed plant.
“The Indonesian coal firm, which we acquired, will be ready for coal extraction in two years and we want to be ready with a project to utilise the raw material,” Subbarao said.
This mine has reserves of 100 million tonnes (mt) and is spread over 25,000 hectares in southern Sumatra. The licence provides GMR with a 30-year mining lease over two separate coal blocks.
GMR Energy has two power projects in operation in Chennai and Mangalore with a cumulative capacity of 420 Mw, and is setting up greenfield projects (thermal and hydro) with a cumulative capacity of 3,130 Mw. These projects are spread across Uttarakhand, Orissa, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
The board of directors of GMR Group, at their meeting in Bangalore on Saturday, decided to seek shareholder approval to raise up to $1 billion to fund growth plans, which include road and power projects.
“We are competitive in our tariff. We are yet to sign a power purchase agreement (PPA) with any government for the new thermal power plant. Once we finalise the location, we will sign the PPA,” Subbarao said.
He said the company was not looking at roping in a partner for the thermal power project.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/coal-in-place-gmr-plans-2000-mw-thermal-plant/357827/
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Coal India to up supply to ailing power plants
Margaret Williams / Kolkata May 12, 2009, 0:07 IST
To meet the burgeoning demand for coal from power utilities, many of which are reeling from an acute shortage of coal stocks, Coal India Limited has committed to supply 313 million tonnes of non-coking coal this fiscal to the power sector as against 293 million tonnes last fiscal.
According to data compiled by the Central Electricity Authority on the coal stock position of the existing power stations in the country as on April 12 this year, 13 large power stations were facing super-critical coal stock shortages of less than four days while eight other power plants faced critical shortages with coal stock of less than seven days.
This situation has emerged despite the government’s mandate which says all power plants in the country near the pit-head were expected to maintain coal stocks of at least 15 days while those away from the mines should have coal stocks of 21-30 days.
Speaking to Business Standard, Partha S Bhattarcharya, chairman, CIL, the largest coal company in the world said, “This year CIL has committed to supply 313 million tonnes (mt) to power utilities in the country as against 293 mt supplied last year. Of the 313 mt, 303 mt will be earmarked for the existing power plants (as on March 2009) and the remaining 7 mt will be set aside for power plants which are set to come up this fiscal”
This apart, CIL is also likely to finalise the long term Fuel Supply Agreement with state-run National Thermal Power Corporation by the end of May which would ensure uninterrupted fuel supply to NTPC.
“The model draft has been initialled and board approvals are required now. It needs to be approved and cleared by respective boards, and final execution will take place by the end of May,” pointed out Bhattarcharya.
However, the draft agreement is effective from April 1, he said. Central Electricity Authority acted as a chief mediator in this fuel pact agreement between CIL, the largest state-run coal company in India and NTPC.
Besides procedural delays the agreement was delayed mainly on account of the deadlock between CIL and NTPC over the contentious issue of trigger level of coal, which after months of dithering was settled at 90 per cent in view of the huge demand of NTPC and other power plants in the country.
However, Bhattarcharya pointed out that individual state power utilities will have to ink individual long term FSA with individual subsidiaries of CIL.
The FSA was introduced in the New Coal Distribution Policy of the Union coal ministry in 2007.
After signing of the FSA between CIL and NTPC, and others the coal stock position at the power generating stations was expected to improve as the long-term pact between the producers and consumers was aimed at ensuring a dedicated supply of fuel.
As regards the contract prices, Bhattarcharya said, “The contract prices will be according to the notified price as fixed by coal ministry.”
The Centre had de-regulated the prices of non-coking coal of grade D, hard coke and soft coke, and allowed CIL to fix the coal prices for grades E and F in 1997, some of the main grades supplied to Indian power plants at present.
From 2000, CIL was free to fix the prices of such grades of coal in relation to the market prices.
The notified price of non-coking coal had been revised thrice in the last nine years, once in 2001, 2004 and 2007, resulting in a price increase of 39 per cent cumulatively, roughly 3.7 per cent annually, which makes it stable in all respects, pointed out Bhattarcharya.
“The prices of CIL thermal coal are comparatively still 50-60 percent lower than the cheapest of international coal even after adjusting the gross calorific value (the main determinant of coal prices) in terms of Rs per million tonnes. The average price of grade E & F coal as supplied by CIL and its subsidiaries to the power companies under the last notified price is Rs 700-800 per tonne, which is around $16-17 per tonne at present,” he added.
According to industry sources, the cost and freight value of imported thermal coal at present is close to $80 as per the international market price.
Last year September the prices were as high as $171-180.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/coal-india-tosupply-to-ailing-power-plants/357795/
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6 mining officials held for accepting bribe
Published: May 12,2009
Alappuzha , May 11 Six employees of the District Mining and Geological Department here were arrested by the Anti-Corruption and Vigilance sleuths for allegedly accepting bribe.
Acting on a complaint, anti-corruption sleuths raided the District Mining and Geological Department and arrested the six officials, including a geologist and a mineral revenue inspector, for allegedly accepting the bribe amount of Rs 7,000 from a person who applied for a sand mining licence, official sources said.
The accused officials had demanded the bribe for granting the licence for one Sarath, native of Ambalappuzha, they said.
Sarath then lodged a complaint with the vigilance department.
http://www.indopia.in/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/571611/National/1/20/1
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Plea to implement Lokayukta report on mining
11 May 2009, 2316 hrs IST, TNN
HUBLI: The National Committee for Protection of Natural Resources (NCPNR) has urged the central and state governments to implement the Lokayukta
report on irregularities in mining activities in Bellary and other parts of the state.
In its report submitted to the state government in December 2008, the Lokayukta had hinted at the nexus between state politicians and bureaucrats in overexploitation of mineral wealth in violation of the Mines and Mineral (Regulation and Development) Act (1957) and Forest Conservation Act (1980).
Speaking to reporters here on Monday, NCPNR president S R Hiremath lamented total lack of governance in enforcing the above laws which resulted in overexploitation and loot of precious mineral resources in Bellary and elsewhere.
Welcoming the decision to suspend the minion operations of Oblapuram Mining Corporation and four other companies, he said a team of NCPNR had studied the "illegal mining activities" and its adverse impact on the health of locals, ecology and environment of the region.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Hubli/Plea-to-implement-Lokayukta-report-on-mining/articleshow/4511072.cms
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'Govt dithering on border survey'
12 May 2009, 0442 hrs IST, TNN
Bangalore: Will the state government be pro-active and coordinate with the Centre to hold a joint survey on alleged encroachment by Obalapuram
Mining Company and four other firms along the Andhra Pradesh border?
Obalapuram Mining Company is owned by tourism minister G Janardhan Reddy.
The opposition is not sure. "The government is not showing any interest in protecting the state's natural resources and its boundaries,'' opposition leaders in both Houses Mallikarjun Kharge and V S Ugrappa said in a joint press conference on Monday.
They demanded that CM B S Yeddyurappa drop the three Bellary ministers __ G Karunakara Reddy, Janardhan Reddy and B Sriramulu __ from the cabinet to ensure free and impartial survey. Kharge said senior ministers have already given enough indication that they are not keen on the survey. "The government has some vested interest in protecting the mining mafia,'' they alleged.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Govt-dithering-on-border-survey/articleshow/4511263.cms
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Mining – International
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Bauxite projects get the ministerial thumbs down
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment officials check bauxite samples at Nhan Co in Dak Nong Province last weekend
One of Vietnam’s first two bauxite mining and alumina extraction projects needs more input from environmental scientists before it can proceed while the other has been poorly planned, the environment minister has said.
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Pham Khoi Nguyen delivered his criticism last weekend while inspecting the Tan Rai and Nhan Co projects in Lam Dong Province and Dak Nong Province respectively.
The Vietnam National Coal and Mineral Industries Group (Vinacomin) is laying the foundations for the Tan Rai plant and clearing an area to dump the red mud left over after the alumina has been extracted from the bauxite ore.
It is also clearing the site for the Nhan Co plant and building resettlement areas for the displaced people.
Minister Nguyen said inspection teams would be formed to continually monitor the environment around the project sites.
The first team, for Tan Rai, will be set up this month, he said.
After inspecting the Tan Rai project and examining Vinacomin’s plan for treating the waste, Nguyen warned that while the plan was credible, there was a large gap between theory and practice.
He suggested that more seminars be held to hear from scientists about the safest way to treat the mine tailings.
He told Vinacomin to submit another environmental impact assessment if it wanted to get a mining license.
Vinacomin intends to clear 209 hectares at Tan Rai for dumping the tailings, which could be covered in soil for cultivating crops and constructing houses later on.
Impact on the locals
Vinacomin Chairman Doan Van Kien said the mining at Tan Rai would be done in lots of 70-100 hectares at a time, with each lot taking around two years.
He said Vinacomin had suggested to the Lam Dong Province government that the land be rented from the owners and returned to them once mining had finished and the red mud covered with a thick layer of fertile soil.
“We also plan to set up a center to study the resurfacing of the mining sites and find suitable trees for the residents to farm,” he said.
Le Quoc Trung, chief inspector of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, recommended the land be rented in stages as mining proceeded to minimize the impact on the land and people.
He said Lam Dong Province should also zone the Tan Rai area so that the land could be used effectively once mining had ended.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong warned Vinacomin that resurfacing the area with soil would be critical as it would affect more than 2,000 hectares of land and its inhabitants.
He warned that care would be needed as a new layer of soil could easily be swept away in the regular floods in the highlands.
Cuong went on to raise another obvious problem. “It is still unclear what the local residents will do for work in the two years waiting for the mining to end and the land to be reclaimed,” he said.
“Lam Dong Province and Vinacomin should formulate a clear plan for this.” lll-conceived
Minister Nguyen said the Nhan Co Alumina Joint Stock Company, the Vinacomin member undertaking the Nhan Co project, had much work to do before it could complete its environmental impact report.
He described the inspection as “very important” as its findings would greatly influence the government and the Politburo, the decision-making body of the Central Communist Party, in deciding whether to let the Nhan Co project continue or not.
“Many challenges remain,” he said.
Last month, the Politburo said bauxite mining in the Central Highlands would only proceed if it benefited the economy without damaging the environment.
Deputy Minister Cuong singled out for special mention the proposed area for dumping the tailings at Nhan Co as it would be in a valley and would not be “absolutely safe.”
Duong Van Hoa, chairman of Nhan Co Alumina JSC, said his company was drilling to survey the geology of the proposed dumpsite.
The alumina output of the Nhan Co project, which began life in late 2005, was originally put at 100,000 tons a year.
This failed to arouse any interest so the figure was raised to 300,000 tons with the prime minister’s blessing, Nhan Co Alumina JSC General Director Bui Quang Tien said.
Again there was no response so the proposed output was doubled to 600,000 tons of alumina per annum last May.
When Chinese Aluminum International Engineering Co. (Chalieco), which would be building the plant at Tan Rai, expressed interest in constructing the Nhan Co plant, Deputy PM Hoang Trung Hai authorized Vinacomin to give the nod.
Tien said the environmental impact report for Nhan Co had been completed in January and submitted to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
In the meantime, the Dak Nong Department of Natural Resources and Environment has set up its own appraisal board to evaluate the report.
The board has asked Nhan Co Alumina JSC to explain how it would handle a doubling of the annual alumina output to 1.2 million tons later on, as mentioned in the environment impact report.
It also wants the company to look deeper into the geology beneath the proposed tailing dumpsite as a fault line runs through Dak Nong Province so earth tremors are a real possibility.
http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/?catid=3&newsid=48682
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SAfrica mining braces for shake-up
Tue May 12, 2009 10:34am BST
By James Macharia and Agnieszka Flak - Analysis
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Dividing South Africa's mining and energy department into two entities could bring more robust government involvement in mining, but the ailing power sector may struggle because its new minister is viewed as inexperienced.
New South African President Jacob Zuma split the minerals and energy portfolio and named Susan Shabangu, a former deputy mines and energy minister, as mining minister in the world's top source of platinum and No. 3 gold producer.
Zuma's appointment of the relatively unknown and inexperienced Dipuo Peters to head the energy portfolio may slow the expansion of power generation, a key portfolio in a country gripped by a power crisis, analysts said.
The outspoken Shabangu replaces Buyelwa Sonjica, who was moved to water and environment.
"I would love to see that tough talk translated into more effective policy at the ministry," said Matt Brenzel, a Cape Town-based portfolio manager for mining at Cadiz African Harvest Asset Management.
"If she has a no-nonsense approach to her new role, she might pull it off," he said.
Among the issues facing Shabangu is the dire safety record in South Africa's mines, some of the deepest in the world, and the potential loss of jobs due to the global economic downturn.
Shabangu will also have to come to grips with a pile of new mining licence applications, which companies say take too long to be processed. She may also be key in setting up a state mining firm, which South Africa's ruling ANC has said it plans.
But her most immediate assignment will be overseeing the first major review of the Mining Charter, a five-year-old agreement meant to bring more black ownership in mining, reversing decades of exclusion under white apartheid rule.
South Africa's Chamber of Mines, which groups the country's main gold producers, said Shabangu was equipped for the job, having been involved in the portfolio before. The National Union of Mineworkers said it welcomed her appointment, saying the former unionist was "action-oriented."
POLITICALLY MOTIVATED?
But Peters' elevation to cabinet from her role as premier of Northern Cape province was seen as a disappointment, and some analysts said it was driven by political reasons.
"Her qualification is in social work and now she will head the energy ministry. It appears this is South Africa's tradition to appoint a minister who has no technical qualifications whatsoever," said Andrew Kenny, an independent energy analyst.
"That must have to do with ANC politics, but it would be nice to have someone who knows something about this key sector. It looks like the ANC is undermining the importance of the sector within the economy," he said.
South Africa's government, which offered a mea culpa for ignoring calls by experts to build new power generation capacity, has said the power crisis could last until 2013, but plans to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup would be unaffected.
One of Peters' biggest tasks will be to build institutions and frameworks, within which the private industry will be willing to invest in electricity, said Cornelis van der Waal, an energy analyst at Frost & Sullivan.
Peters, along with new Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan, will share overseeing a sector blamed for costing Africa's biggest economy billions of dollars, and souring its investor-friendly image after state-owned utility Eskom ESCJ.UL suffered a near-collapse of the power grid last January, which forced mines to shut for days.
Eskom, which remains under the control of Public Enterprises, has been rationing electricity to mines since then.
Van der Waal said planning the country's energy policy, and attracting private investment, will be under Peters.
"The biggest criticism I have is the new minister's lack of experience. There seems to be not that much known about her," said van der Waal.
"It's a good thing that Eskom will remain under public enterprises and that she (Peters) can focus on solving the problems with regards to lack of sufficient investment in energy in South Africa and fuel shortages," van der Waal said.
Eskom's immediate challenge is to raise 385 billion rand (29.8 billion pounds) to fund a five-year power expansion plan.
"If she (Peters) surrounds herself with the right people, she will be very well able to cope with the challenges at hand," van der Waal said.
(Writing by James Macharia; editing by Sue Thomas)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUKTRE54B21T20090512?pageNumber=3&virtualBrandChannel=0
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Constitutionality of mining ban to be challenged at SC
or Mindoro moratorium is contrary to nat’l policy — mayor
By ROBERT A. EVORA
May 12, 2009, 5:45pm
CALAPAN CITY — A mayor, whose town is being eyed as site of a multi-billion-peso Mindoro nickel project, said he will challenge in court the constitutionality of a 25-year mining moratorium imposed in Oriental Mindoro.
Pola Mayor Alex M. Aranas said that he will file a petition for declaratory relief with the Supreme Court from Provincial Ordinance No. 001-2002 which imposes the 25-year moratorium on all forms of mining operations in the province.
Aranas said the provincial ordinance is contrary to the national policy on mining, which is embodied in the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and Executive Order No. 270.
He said that “prospecting, exploration, development, and utilization of mineral resources form part of the national policy of the government as vested in that national law on mining.”
The clarification being sought by Mayor Aranas from the Supreme Court was brought about by a cease-and-desist order (CDO) issued by Oriental Mindoro Gov. Arnan C. Panaligan to Alag-ag Mining Inc., a subsidiary of Intex Resources Philippines, to stop its public scoping activities in several areas of the province.
In the CDO, Governor Panaligan warned Jake G. Foronda, project manager of Alag-ag Mining, that he would be constrained to “use whatever legal means available in my office to enforce the mentioned provincial ordinance even to the extent of causing your arrest and all those involved in the said activities.”
In a related development, a delegation from Victoria town, headed by Mayor Alfredo Ortega, and the Alyansa Laban sa Mina (Alamin), a Church-led anti-mining, non-governmental organization led by Fr. Edwin A. Gariguez, also held a meeting with Governor Panaligan who was asked to issue a cease-and-desist order against Intex Resources.
The foreign-owned mining company will hold two more consultations or public scoping activities in Pola and Victoria towns on May 14 and 15, respectively, to present its environmental impact statement (EIS).
The approval of the EIS by the people of Pola and Victoria is the final stage for Intex Resources to secure an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) from the Mining and Geoscience Bureau to enable it to start its controversial Mindoro nickel project.
Victoria is the site of the 10,000-hectare Mindoro nickel project, which is located in a watershed area in forested Barangay Villa Cerveza, while Pola, because of its ideal location, is the proposed site of its multi-billion-peso processing plant.
Aranas, an advocate of sustainable mining, said “the imposition of the 25-year mining ban since year 2002 is a major setback in the economic development of Oriental Mindoro, in general, and Pola, in particular.”
Pola, a third-class municipality and the hometown of Vice President Noli de Castro, is a major source of agricultural crops and fish and marine products.
He said that when the nickel mining project becomes operational, more than 2,000 of his constituents, including jobless residents of adjoining municipalities, will be gainfully employed.
http://www.mb.com.ph/node/200459
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Uranium hopefuls trim plans
By DUSTIN BLEIZEFFER
Star-Tribune energy reporter
Monday, May 11, 2009 2:04 AM MDT
A few prospective uranium mine developments across the West and in Wyoming have lost their glow since spot prices for the mineral tumbled to about $40 per pound, down from a radioactive high of $150 in 2007.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has tracked more than two dozen proposed mine start-ups and restarts in recent years and has already received five new applications. But with the downturn in the economy and the wallowing spot price for uranium, the agency recently asked prospective developers to restate their hope for the future.
“Companies were asked to submit revised plans to the NRC. Some projects have been delayed, some dropped off,” said Bill von Till, branch chief of NRC’s uranium recovery licensing branch.
The NRC said projects no longer under consideration include:
* Strathmore Minerals Corp.’s “Sky” and “Reno Creek” in-situ leach projects and the “Gas Hills” conventional mine proposal, all in Wyoming.
* The addition of a resin elution circuit at Rio Tinto’s Sweetwater conventional mill, which has remained idle for several years in south-central Wyoming.
* Rio Algom’s restart of the Abrosia Lake conventional mill in New Mexico.
* Bayswater Uranium Corp.’s “Alzada” in-situ leach project in Montana.
The uranium mining industry mounted a comeback several years ago, dusting off land records and geologic mapping of ore deposits from the 1970s and 1980s in preparation to launch more than 20 in-situ leach mine operations across the West -- most of them in Wyoming.
So far, the NRC has already received applications for five such operations. Based on updated letters from prospective operators, the agency expects to receive an additional 15 applications by 2012.
“The downturn in the economy has had some effect,” von Till said.
Yet uranium hopefuls are still planning for an invigorated energy market in the long term. Bayswater Uranium Corp. spokesman John Gomez said his company will retain its interest in the Alzada project, for example, and has since acquired a large database of drilling logs in the area so the project can be revisited when the market recovers.
Bayswater continues to compile resource data for another in-situ leach project, Elkhorn in northeast Wyoming.
In response to the wide interest in new in-situ leach uranium mining, the NRC is preparing a generic environmental impact statement. The NRC expects to issue the final document in June, which will initiate another public comment period.
http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2009/05/12/news/wyoming/989283f63512d850872575b20020f8e0.txt
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Move To Scrap Illegal Mining Underway
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Image
Joyce Aryee
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Joyce Aryee, has hinted that stringent measures are being taken to scrap illegal mining which has been a bane for mining companies across the country.
According to Ms Aryee, the “Chamber does not condone illegal mining, its related activities and does not aid any persons related to this act.
“Illegal mining is wrong, dangerous and not helpful to the nation. We should not condone illegality in whatever form or for what ever reason.”
Speaking in Sunyani at a networking lunch with the Brong Ahafo Region press corps as part of nationwide activities to launch the Chamber’s 81st Annual General Meeting (AGM), Ms Aryee however stated the chamber’s support for licensed small-scale mining, saying, “The Chamber recognizes the achievements of licensed artisanal small-scale mining.”
She disclosed that there is an ongoing project to undertake a study into small-scale mining with a view to enhancing the understanding of the needs of the sector and also inform strategy formulation to resolve the challenges of its operators.
There have been media reports in recent times where illegal miners, popularly called galamsey miners, have been trapped to death under mining pits. The situation, experts say, is becoming alarming and needed to be checked to save the lives energetic young Ghanaians.
The media interaction, the CEO noted, was to enhance positive public perception of the mining industry, educate the public on the Chamber’s role in the mining industry and celebrate the contributions of the mining industry to the socio-economic development of Ghana.
Ms Aryee noted that under the initiative of her outfit, the mining industry continues to be “actively pursuing proactive strategic relationships with its major stakeholders with the purpose of creating the right basis for addressing key issues relating to the role of mining in national development.”
Stating the contributions of the mining sector to the national economy, Ms Aryee said the industry contributes substantially to employment generation, long term capital formation, social investments as well as skills transfer and the fiscal payments to the state.
Currently mining companies pay three percent mineral royalty on their gross revenues to the state. In 2008 alone, the sector paid over GH¢179m, representing more than 14 percent of its total internal revenue collections to the government.
On the payment of compensations to people affected by mining activities, the CEO said the Chamber has made inputs into the regulations on the mining law for the standardization of compensation processes in the mining area.
She explained that her outfit will push for compensation to be in the form of cash and where possible, land. It will also ensure that alternate lands for farmers whose lands are taken for mining activities are provided.
http://dailyguideghana.com/newd/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3508&Itemid=254
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Finalise mining legislation, Govt urged
New Ziana
Government has been urged to finalise the Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill to create a policy framework that boosts investor confidence in the mining industry.
An affiliate of the Chamber of Mines, Geo Associates managing director Paul Chimbodza said it was important for the country to
have an enabling legal framework to lure investors.
The Mines and Minerals Amendment Bill has been tabled in Parliament for over five years and remains to be passed into law.
"There is need for speedy resolution (of the Bill) as it should include policies that stimulate current and future investment while
supporting existing investors and operators," he said.
"The reviewed Act should encourage long term investments in the mining industry," he added.
Chimbodza was addressing participants to a one-day mining workshop organised by the Chamber of Mines last week.
He said there was also need to include new mining organisations on the Mining Affairs Board, which deals with mining rights.
"We are lobbying for the inclusion of Zimbabwe Miners Federation, Youth in Mining and Environment Trust, Women in Mining and other players," he said.
Speaking at the same workshop, Chamber of Mines immediate past president Jack Murehwa echoed Chimbodza’s sentiments, saying a speedy resolution of the Bill would encourage more mining deals.
He said investors whether foreign or local should be assured of investment returns through enabling mining policies.
"Policy uncertainty should be reduced to minimum so that the mining environment becomes friendly," he said.
The economy and Zimbabweans in general, Murehwa said, should benefit from the country’s vast mineral resources.
Zimplats chief executive Alex Mhembere said attractive mining laws help to lure investors.
Government should also minimise delays in processing applications, registration and inspection of mines to avoid inconveniencing investors, he said.
Mining experts rank the Mines and Minerals Act as one of the best on the continent
but are against the proposed 51 percent
shareholding reserve for local people. — New Ziana.
http://www.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=4298&cat=8
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The role of mining, logging in floods
Google Maps
In a satellite view from Google Maps, the surface mines in the Varney area are visible
By Erica Peterson
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May 11, 2009 • As coalfields residents continue to muck out their homes, the million dollar question is: what caused the flooding? Part of the answer is obvious - a lot of rain, but timbering and mining may also contribute.
As coalfields residents continue to muck out their homes, the million dollar question is: what caused the flooding? Part of the answer is obvious; a lot of rain. But timbering and mining may also contribute.
Summer 2001 – record flooding inundates Mullens, Oceana, and Welch. More than 2,000 homes are destroyed.
Summer 2002 – McDowell County hit again.
Summer 2004 – Mingo County.
And now, floods devastate parts of Wyoming and Mingo Counties yet again, in Hanover, Gilbert -- and Varney, where residents warily watched not just the creek rising, but water, rocks and mud shooting down the mountain as well.
On Sunday, Paul Noe was helping his sister clean mud out of her home.
“And each and every time it gets larger,” Noe said. “So the next one will be bigger. The same amount of rain, these creeks just fill in. The water does not have nowhere to go. They’ve done all this mountaintop removal and timber and gas line and all of that, and everything just fills these valleys in.”
Varney is surrounded on all sides by active and inactive mines. So he’s not the only resident to blame the mining and timber industries for increased flooding.
Scientists who have looked at the issue say yes, mining and timbering can increase the severity of flooding – but it’s complicated.
Jim Pierce is a senior engineer for the West Virginia DEP’s Division of Mining and Reclamation. He was leader of an investigatory team that studied mining’s effect on water runoff.
“We studied the effects of logging and mining and whether or not those practices can cause increases in runoff,” he said. “And what we concluded in the study is yes, in select areas, logging and mining can create increases in runoff.”
But Pierce adds that in 2003, the DEP acted on this information. The department analyzed the surface water runoff of existing permits and implemented a compliance schedule for all active mines.
“Surface water runoff control is a design aspect that has to be considered in all future permits,” he said. “And what that does and what that accomplishes is that mining disturbance within a watershed can’t create increases in runoff compared to the pre-mining configuration of the watershed.
“And also the post-mining configuration is compared to the pre-mining configuration of the watershed. The post-mining configuration can’t create increases in runoff.”
As for the effect of timbering – researcher Susan Bolton of the University of Washington says the worst impact comes for the first three or four years after an area is logged.
Small watersheds might get twice the peak flow, but only for a few years.
Ray Hicks is a professor of forestry at WVU. He has studied the effects that trees have on water runoff.
He says trees absorb the soil’s water, drying it out. But this is only applicable when there are small amounts of water, not the deluge of rain that the state has seen in the past week.
“Once the soil becomes wet, then the water begins to run off no matter if there are trees there or there are not trees there,” he said.
Sen. Richard Browning says his district— covering Wyoming and Raleigh counties – is flooded from both the rising rivers and water coming off of the mountains.
“I’ve gone out with the timber industry, I’ve listened to their arguments,” he said. “They have solid evidence to say that ‘no we don’t affect it,’ but at the same time my gut feeling tells me that there’s something there.”
And Reverend Larry Brown in Mingo County watched over the weekend as mud and slate slid off the Massey Energy-owned mine behind his house. It filled the creek, and sent four feet of water into his home.
“This would have never happened. Now we’ve had water before and we’ve had extensive rain. It’s never come out of the banks. It’s never. At 30 years I’ve been here we’ve never had a problem.
“When this sediment came in the water had to go somewhere so it just dumped on us. It had no choice. So it’s the coal company’s fault.”
http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=9548
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Editorial - Coal mining and our children’s future
Because of climate change, within the lifetime of children alive today it’s entirely possible that Australia’s wonderful beaches and the lower lying areas of our coastal cities will have disappeared beneath rising sea levels, and the Great Barrier Reef will be a vast, lifeless and eroding ruin. There will also be higher levels of infectious diseases, crop failures and famines in many countries, acidification of the oceans, mass extinction of native fauna and flora, and many other catastrophes.
However, there is an even more terrible possibility. Some scientists now consider that the human race could become extinct, because of the impact of climate change.
In April, scientists from Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation bluntly told a Senate Committee that the Rudd government’s emissions trading scheme (ETS) and its 5 percent target for reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases were entirely inadequate. They claimed that if the ETS is not based on higher targets “we are at risk of permanent major damage from climate change”.
The UN’s International Panel on Climate Change had previously nominated the minimum necessary reduction as 25 percent by 2020, but the government had only committed itself to achieving a 5 percent emission reduction, with the possibility of increasing this to 20 percent if every other country in the world agreed to do so.
Unfortunately, the government was lending a more attentive ear to complaints about the ETS from leaders of the industries with the nation’s worst emission records. They predicted the end of the coal industry, and one representative of the steel industry publicly demanded that the ETS be withdrawn and revised so as to conform to their wishes, otherwise the industry would be moved offshore.
Accordingly, the Rudd government decided to defer introduction of the scheme for a year, and to lower the initial carbon price from $40 per tonne to $10. The major emitters will pay nothing at all in the initial stage, but even this appalling cave-in didn’t satisfy them. The Minerals Council of Australia described the revised scheme as just “a stay of execution”.
As a sop to concerned citizens, the government declared that if the rest of the world accepted a 2020 reduction of 25 percent it would also do so. Unfortunately, if the rest of the world follows the government’s example and holds back, the UN emission reduction campaign will become paralysed.
The governments of other developed western nations are far and away ahead. Germany is lowering its dependence on coal-fired power generation with vast arrays of solar photovoltaic cells. Britain has banned construction of new coal-fired power stations unless the proponents can prove the feasibility of carbon geosequestration (virtually a technical and economic impossibility).
Even the US has set a far better example (at least domestically) by vigorously enforcing the stringent requirements of its acid rain emissions trading scheme, rather than lose its forests. As a result, between 1990 and 2007 the emission of corrosive sulphur and nitrogen oxides from US power stations had fallen by 50 percent.
But far, far more is needed. Carbon dioxide is the most prevalent greenhouse gas emitted by human activity, and the largest proportion of this comes from coal-burning power stations. Other energy sources must take over from coal, in order to protect the human race and the planet.
And Australia’s role is crucial. Our coal-fired power stations produce 50 percent of our greenhouse gas emissions, and Australia is now the world’s biggest exporter of coal. We previously banned the mining and export of asbestos, which is toxic for those who inhale its fibres. Now, for the sake of this and future generations, we must phase out the mining and export of coal, which is proving toxic for the planet.
This will involve the loss of jobs in the coal mining industry, but miners could be trained for and allocated jobs in new and publicly-owned renewable energy industries.
The Rudd government will not do this. It will have to be replaced by a party or coalition of parties with the courage and determination to do the job. The future of our children depends on it.
http://www.cpa.org.au/guardian/2009/1410/02-editorial.html
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Other News – India
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Effective implementation of NREGS sought
Staff Correspondent
Take up works related to water conservation to generate jobs, says mahila sanghatane
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Rural employment scheme aims to provide 100 days of employment a year to applicants
Protesters allege non-utilisation of allocated funds for the scheme
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For livelihood: Members of district unit of the Akhila Bharata Janawadi Mahila Sanghatane and Krishi Kooli Karmikara Sanghatane staging a protest demonstration in front of the office of the zilla panchayat in Bidar on Monday.
Bidar: Members of the district unit of the Akhila Bharata Janawadi Mahila Sanghatane and Krishi Kooli Karmikara Sanghatane staged a protest demonstration in front of the office of the zilla panchayat in Bidar urging the Chief Executive Officer of the zilla panchayat, Umesh Kusugal, to provide jobs to the unemployed persons under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS).
State president of Akhila Bharata Janawadi Mahila Sanghatane, K. Neela, led the protest. District unit president of the Akhila Bharata Janawadi Mahila Sanghatane, Ambubai, participated among many others. They submitted a memorandum to Mr. Kusugal.
The memorandum said that as per the guidelines of the NREGS, jobs should be provided within 15 days after the receipt of the application. In order to generate jobs, the memorandum said that the zilla panchayat should initiate works related to water conservation.
The protesters alleged that the funds allocated for the implementation of the NREGS by the Union Government was not being utilised fully and steps should be initiated to make maximum utilisation of the allocated funds. The memorandum also stated that as per the NREGS guidelines, during the lean period for agriculture, all those who apply for jobs under NREGS should be given at least 100 days of employment every year.
But, the protesters alleged, that the gram panchayats had failed to implement the scheme in an effective manner due to which development in villages was also staggered.
The memorandum suggested that gram sabhas be held at regular intervals so that a large number of people can be involved in planning and executing village-level public works and their maintenance. Action plan for taking up works should be prepared within a short time and jobs should be generated so that all applicants can be provided with employment of 100 days every year as per the guidelines of the scheme, the memorandum added.
The protesters also raised the issue of misuse of machinery under NREGS in many places.
They recommended stern action against elected representatives of gram panchayats in which such misappropriation of funds and manipulation of documents had come to the notice of the authorities.
The memorandum alleged that in some gram panchayats while no job was created or provided to any applicant under NREGS, funds were being siphoned off by panchayat members by way of producing bogus list of names of people, who they claimed, had been provided jobs.
No response
The protest, however, did not evoke any response from the members of the Bijapur zilla panchayat.
Speaking to The Hindu, Ms. Neela criticised the zilla panchayat members; Members of Legislative Assembly and officials concerned for not listening to the woes of the people.
She said: “The members of the Akhila Bharata Janawadi Mahila Sanghatane and Krishi Kooli Karmikara Sanghatane staged a protest in front of the office of the zilla panchayat in Bidar but none of the elected representatives of the zilla panchayat cared to enquire as to what was happening on the panchayat premises. The zilla panchayat members lack social commitment.”
http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/12/stories/2009051251500300.htm
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Land disputes will be settled in a week: RDC
Express News Service
First Published : 12 May 2009 04:08:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 12 May 2009 09:25:35 AM IST
NARAYANPATNA: Tension continues to prevail in Narayanpatna block after a group clash between Chasi Muliya Adivasi Sangha and its opponents, consisting of tribals and non-tribals, in Padapadar village on Saturday which claimed the life of one Natyananda Melka of Gotiguda village.
District Collector B.N.Dash today held a meeting with Sangha president Nachika Linga at Baliapeta village. It is learnt the Sangha promised to stop its activities if the administration settled their old revenue cases.
Revenue Divisional Commissioner (south) Satyabrata Sahu said Joint Commissioner (settlement) will be stationed at Narayanpatna for the next seven days to settle the land disputes.
The Sangha has been fighting for land rights and opposing liquor trade in the locality since long besides demanding forest rights. The Sangha has also been demanding settlement of cases pertaining to 30 land records which have been pending before the Koraput Collector for the last couple of years.
In the last three days, as many as 200 houses of non-tribals have been allegedly damaged by the Sangha members. Apprehending more violence, villagers of Padapadar, Narayanpatna, Balipeta and Tentulipadar panchayats in the block have fled to nearby forests and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Land+disputes+will+be+settled+in+a+week:+RDC&artid=yBGlqXp/eF4=&SectionID=mvKkT3vj5ZA=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=nUFeEOBkuKw=&SEO=
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Tribals choose wages over wildlife slaughter
12 May 2009, 0511 hrs IST, Sonali Das, TNN
JAMSHEDPUR: "Give us work and we will not plunder your forests and wildlife." This is the message which tribals living in the forests of Dalma in
East Singbhum district appear to have communicated to the administration during the recently-concluded annual tribal sendra' festival. Every year, wild animals are hunted in the hills and forests of this area during the festival causing a great loss to the fauna.
Though the forest department conducted a massive awareness campaign to deter villagers from killing wild animals which is part of the ritual, it was actually because most villagers had their hands full with work under the various ongoing projects of the National Rural Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) that they thought it wiser to spend the day earning wages than killing wildlife. "Working for wages will be more fruitful than hunting for a squirrel or wild pig," said Sukhram Munda, a villager.
In fact, in a state where NREGS has proved to be a dismal failure, East Singbhum is one of the two districts, the other being Pakur, which has been successful in offering jobs to villages under various schemes enabling them to keep their hearths burning.
The forest department works in tandem with the district administration for execution of schemes under NREGA in areas like plantation, fencing, forest road construction, pond and other concrete structures. Under the world food programme (WFP), the division has provided 2.5 lakh mandays, said A T Mishra, divisional forest officer (DFO), Dalbhum division.
In fact, the district was selected for the NREGA award for excellence in administration. "We utilized Rs 4 crore in the execution of a 100 schemes in 2007-2008," said Mishra.
Earlier the number of tribals going inside the forests for sendra' or vishu shikar' were in thousands which was brought down to a few hundreds in 2007. In 2009 the number of visitors to the Dalma sanctuary has reduced to a trickle, Mishra claimed. "Foresters and forest protection committee members were active at almost every entry point, including bus stands, and even forcefully returned the hunters," the DFO said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ranchi/Tribals-choose-wages-over-wildlife-slaughter/articleshow/4511577.cms
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India, U.K. to assess climate change impact
Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI: India and the United Kingdom have announced five new projects to assess the potential impact of climate change on the country. They will also take up regional projects to identify and develop adaptation strategies.
This was announced at the first Indo-U.K. programme on climate change impacts and adaptation-phase II workshop held here on Monday. The second phase of the collaborative research programme follows a major assessment of the impact of climate change on India, carried out by the U.K.’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests.
The projects will develop improved scenarios for predicting the impact up to 2050. Two regional projects will be executed in Orissa and Madhya Pradesh to assess the impact and vulnerability, and to develop adaptation options.
The five projects are linking water and agriculture in river basins (IIT-Delhi); development of high-resolution climate change scenarios for India (Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune); State-level vulnerability and adaptation assessment (Madhya Pradesh-Development Alternatives, New Delhi); State-level vulnerability assessment and adaptation strategies (Orissa-Winrock International India); and the socio-economic impact of climate extremes (IIM, Ahmedabad).
http://www.hindu.com/2009/05/12/stories/2009051252601100.htm
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