30-06-09

Mining – India 1
1. SEL achieves financial closure for Orissa plant 1
2. Coal India pulls out all stops to increase output 2
3. Indian mining policy to allow FDI in mineral exploration 3
4. Orissa HC extends stay on grant of PL to Posco till August 5 4
5. Ms D Purandeswari promise help for iron ore mines to RINL 5
6. Delay in iron ore lease holds up Tata Steel’s Orissa project 5
Mining – International 6
7. Nonferrous metals price forecasts revised 6
8. Chinalco to buy GBP 880 million of Rio shares - Report 8
9. Rockfall closes BHP nickel mine 8
10. Another man trapped at BHP Leinster mine 9
11. Denison May Start Mining Uranium in Zambia in 2012, Times Says 11
12. A Plea To President Obama: End Mountaintop Coal Mining by James Hansen 11
13. Malaysia denies enviro damage due to gold mining 13
14. Mining and free trade in Eritrea 14
Other News 14
15. India would like to see an equitable outcome at Copenhagen' 14
16. Water should be a basic human right, say researchers 15
17. ST community wants own ministry, department 17
18. Americans Assess How to Fight Climate Change 17

Mining – India

SEL achieves financial closure for Orissa plant


Mumbai: Sterlite Energy Ltd, or SEL, on Monday has achieved financial closure for its 2,400 MW power project at Jharsuguda in Orissa. Sterlite Industries (India) Ltd, which wholly owns SEL, said a consortium of 19 lenders led by the State Bank of India, or SBI, committed a term loan of Rs6,150 crore. SBI Capital Markets Ltd, IDBI Bank and Deutsche Bank acted as joint lead arrangers for the transaction.
The execution of the loan agreement was concluded Monday. SEL is part of Vedanta Resources Plc, a London-listed FTSE 100 diversified metals and mining firm.
This transaction is the largest syndicated term loan facility arranged for the Vedanta group from the Indian debt markets for a single project. The project envisages a total capital outlay of Rs8,200 crore, which is proposed to be funded through a combination of Rs6,150 crore of debt in Indian and foreign currency loans and Rs2,050 crore of equity. The equity component has already been contributed by Sterlite.
The term loan facility has a tenure of about 14 years and has been tied up through a consortium of 17 Indian banks, the Life Insurance Corporation of India and ECB financing from IIFC (UK) Ltd. The Indian rupee component has been structured on a floating rate interest linked to State Bank advance rate and the ECB component to LIBOR, or the London InterBank Offered Rate. The facilities are secured by the project assets. The project is expected to be fully commissioned by mid 2010.


http://www.livemint.com/2009/06/29230023/SEL-achieves-financial-closure.html

Coal India pulls out all stops to increase output

Margaret Williams / Kolkata June 30, 2009, 0:54 IST

Focus is on underground, abandoned mines.

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- Coal ministry mulls proposal to divest stake in CIL

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- CIL plans import cell for non-coking coal

- Coal India to get incentives for extra supply to power cos




Coal Bhawan, the imposing headquarters of Coal India Ltd (CIL) in Kolkata, is buzzing with activity these days. And the top brass at the country’s largest coal producer has already shrugged off the disappointment over the ministry’s decision to rule out a price increase in the near future.
For, disinvestment is in the air, and CIL doesn’t want to let such things distract it from its plan to ramp up coal production by 65 per cent to 660 million tonnes in another six to seven years. This is in keeping with coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal’s assertion that increasing coal production was more important than a price increase.
Coal India chairman Partha S Bhattacharya said despite all odds, CIL managed to cross the 400 million tonne production mark last fiscal, recording a growth of 6.4 per cent in output as against the previous year. “The trend will continue and our aim will be to achieve 10 per cent annual growth in the near future”, Bhattacharya said. The company expects a 7.1 per cent growth in coal output this fiscal with a total production of 435 million tonnes. There is hardly any way out. The new National Coal Wage Agreement VIII, which revised the salaries of close to 4,15,000 employees, heavily eroded CIL’s profit margin besides turning as many as 33 projects unviable.
CIL’s director (Technical) N C Jha pointed out that of the 134 projects planned for the 11th plan period, estimated to produce 309 million tonne at an investment of Rs 26,000 crore, 33 had become unviable. “We are looking in what way we can go forward — whether to go for cost plus system or whether to wait for a price increase,” Jha said.
CIL’s profit after tax (PAT) plummeted to Rs 96 crore in 2008-09 on account of the wage revision.
The focus of the new production plan is underground and abandoned mines. Besides increasing capacity through conventional opencast mining, the company has recently shortlisted 10 private parties for developing 18 abandoned mines estimated to have a coal capacity of around 1,600 million tonnes.
This apart, CIL also plans to develop seven underground mines on a turnkey basis. The company has received 17 offers and nine potential companies have been shortlisted, the contracts will be awarded shortly.
In order to boost private investments for development of selected underground mining assets CIL has also formulated a standard draft wherein the onus will be on the selected firms for planning and operating these coal mines with state-of-the-art technology.
The capital investment to be incurred by the successful bidders for developing the mines will be reimbursed against bank loans taken by CIL, which will retain some amount which will be disbursed on a case-to-case basis depending on the amount of work involved.
“It’s a complex model of revenue sharing. We will reimburse the capital investment of the successful bidders. Once the production starts, for every tonne of coal produced we will give them a certain amount of money in accordance with whatever is defined in the tender document of the successful bid, Jha said.
The public sector coal behemoth also plans to introduce washeries to produce better quality coals. “We have plans to set up 19 washeries out of which tenders for four have been floated, two are of 10 million tonnes each and two of five million tonnes capacity. We plan to bring in more washeries in the present fiscal,” Jha said.
Jha said the company had fixed a quarter-wise growth plan. “We are also doing projects which have the potential to increase their production,” he said.
But there is a rider. To implement these projects successfully, environmental and forest clearances have to be obtained, projects have to be prepared, and constant acquisition of land has to be done in time. The ministry and with CIL were looking at ways and means to expedite the process to increase production, he added.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/coal-india-pulls-out-all-stops-to-increase-output/362457/

Indian mining policy to allow FDI in mineral exploration
Tuesday, 30 Jun 2009
Projects Today reported that the union Government is likely to put forward the new national mining policy in Parliament by the winter session which will allow foreign direct investment in the exploration of capital intensive minerals like copper, nickel and chromium.

Under the proposal, mines and minerals Act, 1957 is expected to be amended again to give an upward thrust to the sector. Currently, draft legislation is being finalized in consultation with state governments and other stakeholders.

The proposed change is likely to help private participation. Many companies from Australia and Canada and the US are keen in exploration and extraction of these minerals in India.

The Geological Survey of India has already been asked to put out all survey and exploration data, maps and reports on its website to facilitate private sector participation in mineral exploration.

Also, the government is likely to rationalize the royalty system on minerals. The changes are expected to nearly double the mineral rich states royalty earnings to INR 4,000 crore annually.

(Sourced from Projects Today)

http://steelguru.com/news/index/2009/06/30/MTAwMzYz/Indian_mining_policy_to_allow_FDI_in_mineral_exploration.html

Orissa HC extends stay on grant of PL to Posco till August 5

BS Reporter / Kolkata/ Bhubaneswar June 30, 2009, 0:02 IST

The Orissa High Court today extended the stay on grant of prospecting license (PL) by the Union government for Khandadhar iron ore mines in favour of Posco India till 5 August 2009.

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The High Court, which heard the matter today, also put off the hearing on the case pertaining to the recommendation of the Orissa government for grant of PL to the company till then.
It may be noted, the Orissa government recommended PL in favour of Posco India over 2500 hectares in village Kensara, Bhutuda, Rantha, Batagaon, Sareikala, Lusi and Raisuan under Bonai sub-division of Sundergarh district on 9 January 2009.
The recommendation was made to the Union government under provisions of section 5 (1) and 11 (5) of Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Act, 1956, as iron ore is a mineral specified in the first schedule of the act. The public sector Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited (KIOCL) had earlier moved the Orissa High Court challenging the action of the Orissa government in recommending Posco’s name for grant of PL without taking a decision on its application. Subsequently, the chief minister’s approval was obtained to issue rejection letter to the company. The South Korean steel major Posco plans to set up a 12 million tonne integrated greenfield steel plant in Jagatsinghpur district of Orissa at an investment of Rs 51,000 crore. Billed as the largest foreign direct investment (FDI) proposal of the country, the project couldn’t make much headway due to the resistance of the locals to the land acquisition.
While the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) has accorded stage-1 clearance to the forest diversion proposal of the state government, steps are being taken to obtain the second stage clearance for making use of the forest land.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/orissa-hc-extends-staygrantpl-to-posco-till-august-5/362468/


Ms D Purandeswari promise help for iron ore mines to RINL
Tuesday, 30 Jun 2009
BL reported that Ms D Purandeswari union minister of State for Human Resource Development promised all help for providing raw material security to Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

During a visit to VSP and an interaction with Mr PK Bishnoi CMD of Visakhapatnam Steel and others, Ms Purandeswari complimented Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, the corporate entity of VSP, for its excellent overall performance and assured all help in resolving problems being faced by VSP with regard to procurement of captive mines and water supply.

She said VSP’s cooperation in strengthening the welfare program undertaken by the Central and State governments through its Corporate Social Responsibility activities.

Mr Purandeswari added that she would make all out efforts to ensure that RINL was conferred with navaratna status, which would enhance the prestige of RINL and pave way for faster expansion.

She was given a ceremonial reception at the Hill Top Guest House and was received by Mr Bishnoi and other directors. Mr Bishnoi promised to look into her advice and do whatever was feasible under its CSR policy.

(Sourced from Business Line)

http://steelguru.com/news/index/2009/06/30/MTAwMzcx/Ms_D_Purandeswari_promise_help_for_iron_ore_mines_to_RINL.html

Delay in iron ore lease holds up Tata Steel’s Orissa project
‘Brownfield expansion at Jamshedpur will be completed on time’.
________________________________________
Snapshot
Tata Steel signed a memorandum of understanding with the Orissa Government in 2004 to set up the plant
It had lined up Rs 15,400-crore investments and acquired most of the 1,360 hectares needed for the Orissa project
________________________________________
Suresh P. Iyengar
Mumbai, June 29 A delay in allotment of the iron ore lease is holding up Tata Steel’s six million-tonne project at Kalinganagar, Orissa.
Mr B. Muthuraman, Managing Director, Tata Steel, said on the sidelines of a recent press meet that according to an agreement with the Orissa Government, the company was to have got the lease for iron ore mining after putting in place 25 per cent of the equipment required for the project.
“We have met our commitment and are waiting for the State to allot the mines,” he added. Tata Steel signed a memorandum of understanding with the Government in 2004 to set up the plant.
The company had lined up an investment of Rs 15,400 crore and acquired most of the 1,360 hectares needed for the project. It had also placed orders worth Rs 6,500 crore for equipment such as blast furnace, steel melting shop and other civilian structures. The first phase was to have kicked off by 2008 but was delayed for a host of reasons.
As for the delay in the other five-million-tonne steel project planned at Maoist-infested Bastar in Chhattisgarh, Mr Muthuraman said, “The only solution for the problem (by the Maoists) lies in development. We chose the State knowing well of the challenges ahead and have not given up. Land acquisition is in progress but the reality is that the project is delayed.”
Tata Steel signed an agreement with the State in June 2005 for which nearly 80 per cent of the 2,063.06 hectares identified for the project (across 10 villages in the Lohandiguda block) were acquired. There was opposition from farmers to the move.
Rehabilitation
The company’s subsidiary, Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company, has already built a model house to rehabilitate villagers and plans homes for all those families displaced by the project.
“Though the greenfield projects in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa are delayed, the company has not shunned any projects. We will focus spending on value-creating assets with accelerated benefits. The brownfield expansion at Jamshedpur will be completed on time,” Mr Muthuraman said.
Tata Steel also plans to increase capacity at Jameshedpur to 10 mt from six mt in 2011. It has set aside a capex of $2 billion (nearly Rs 9,500 crore) over the next three years. The scrip was up two per cent at Rs 397 on Monday.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/06/30/stories/2009063051070200.htm


Mining – International

Nonferrous metals price forecasts revised
2009-06-29 23:10:00
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LONDON: Several market analysts are now forced to eat their words nonferrous metals and revising their forecasts for 2009.

Several nonferrous metals analysts have already revised their predictions for spot nonferrous prices on the London Metals Exchange (LME).

Almost all of the revised forecasts are lower than 2008 averages and show slippage off actual midyear averages, which reflect a projected end of Chinese stockpiling and expectations of an anemic, if any, metalworking recovery late in the year.

According to purchasing.com website, Standard Chartered analysts now expect slight upward momentum in the world zinc price in 2010 as long as demand improves.

Besides that, Reuters News, Bloomberg News and Purchasing.com have tracked down these revisions and forecast price changes of base metals traded on the LME.

They include: Barclays Capital has raised its 2009 price forecasts for copper, lead, zinc, nickel and tin, and said signs of recovery in OECD demand looks set to underpin prices.

The emergence of some physical consumer buying in OECD markets is evidence that destocking has run it course. Although the short term outlook for copper market fundamentals is not very impressive, it expects downside pricing to be limited.

Barclays Capital raised its 2009 price forecast for copper to $1.96 from $1.83 projected earlier. LME copper prices at midyear were $2.27. Barclays Capital raised its 2009 lead metal price forecast to 67¢ from 63¢ and its zinc 2009 forecast to 64¢ from 61¢. The midyear average for LME lead was 75¢ with zinc at 70¢. On nickel prices, Barclays Capital raised its forecast for 2009 to $5.39/lb from $5.05 forecast earlier. It also lifted its 2009 forecast for tin to $5.71 from $5.53. At midyear, nickel averaged $6.70 with tin at $6.80.

Natixis forecasts copper prices to average $1.86/lb and aluminum prices to 61¢. The Natixis outlook sees the average price for lead at 63.5¢, nickel at $5.10, tin at $5.22 and zinc at 61¢. Numis Securities has changed its copper-price forecast for 2009 from $1.40/lb to $1.70.

Bank of America/Merrill Lynch Research analysts still expect copper prices to average $1.77, up from $1.54 projected earlier, while aluminum is forecast 20% higher at 68¢.However, “going forward, if government policies are successful in reigniting growth, physical commodity supply constraints could resurface, resulting in even more commodity price inflation,” they write to clients.


http://www.commodityonline.com/news/Nonferrous-metals-price-forecasts-revised-19082-3-1.html

Chinalco to buy GBP 880 million of Rio shares - Report
Tuesday, 30 Jun 2009
Bloomberg quoted two people familiar with the matter said that Aluminum Corporation of China plans to buy GBP 880 million f Rio Tinto Group stock, taking its share of a rights offer by the world’s third biggest mining company.

One of the people said that Chinalco, as the state owned entity is known, may buy about 63 million new shares in Rio. London-based Rio is selling USD 15.2 billion of stock in the UK and Australia to help pay debt.

The sale would allow Beijing based Chinalco to retain its 9% stake after its proposed USD 19.5 billion investment in Rio, the single largest foreign investment by a Chinese company, was rebuffed. Rio instead opted to sell shares and agreed to form an iron ore venture with BHP Billiton Limited.

Ms Rebecca O’Dwyer an analyst at Investec Securities in London who rates Rio a hold said that China is always talking about access to resources like iron ore, copper and aluminum over the long term. So to let yourself be diluted today because the larger deal was rejected would be very short-sighted.

Ms O’Dwyer said that “We continue to believe Rio Tinto and BHP for that matter are more attractive to Chinese buyers than companies like Anglo American and Xstrata because of the commodities that they offer such as iron ore, copper and aluminum.”

According to company filings, Rio is offering existing shareholders the right to buy 21 new shares for every 40 they hold at 1,400 pence for its London shares and AUD 28.29 for its Sydney shares. The offer is scheduled to close at 5 PM Melbourne time July 1st.

According to a statement, Rio is issuing 524 million new shares traded in London, representing about 52.5% of its existing share capital and 34.4% of the enlarged share capital traded in London. The offer, valued at USD 15.2 billion, would help Rio pay down some of the USD 38.9 billion of debt.

Credit Suisse Group AG, JPMorgan Cazenove Limited, Deutsche Bank AG, Morgan Stanley and Macquarie Capital Limited are the joint global coordinators on the rights offer.

(Sourced from Bloomberg)



Rockfall closes BHP nickel mine
June 30, 2009 - 3:04PM
A rockfall triggered by seismic activity at a BHP Billiton nickel operation in Western Australia has forced the closure of an underground nickel mine.
A Department of Mines and Petroleum spokeswoman said there was a rockfall incident at BHP's Perseverance underground nickel mine, near Leinster, in WA's Goldfields just before midnight on Monday.
"It was caused by seismic activity," the spokeswoman told AAP.
No-one had been injured or trapped in the incident, the spokeswoman said.
The spokeswoman said BHP had been issued with a notice which prevented them from mining again before it proved the mine was safe.
Departmental investigators will travel to the site to inspect the mine.
It is the same mine where another worker was trapped a kilometre underground for 16 hours after a seismic event triggered a rockfall earlier this month.
The miner was trapped by 500 tonnes of rock which fell around him.
In the past 10 months, five workers have died on BHP Billiton iron ore sites in the Pilbara, sparking calls from unions for improved safety practices.
Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU) state secretary Steve McCartney said a driller had been trapped underground for a number of hours and that one worker was injured.
"While the driller is apparently uninjured, it is understood that at least one mobile maintenance employee who was near the rockfall at the time of the incident has had to receive medical treatment for back injuries sustained from being near the rockfall," Mr McCartney said.
He said the tremor measured more than two on the Richter scale.
Mr McCartney said the latest incident adds to the long string of safety problems at BHP mines and the AMWU would intensify its calls for a federal parliamentary inquiry into mine safety.
"BHP's atrocious safety record must be urgently examined before more deaths and injuries take place at their mines," Mr McCartney said.
"There has been a long culture of cover-up at BHP sites and it's time there was an open independent investigation into their safety record.
"An independent inquiry is urgently needed to investigate why these tragic events happen on BHP mine sites and to recommend what needs to be done to guarantee the safety of BHP workers."
The AMWU had been told by members BHP would not issue a media release in relation to the incident and miners should not speak to anyone from outside the company, Mr McCartney said.
BHP has been contacted for comment.
© 2009 AAP

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-business/rockfall-closes-bhp-nickel-mine-20090630-d3gh.html

Another man trapped at BHP Leinster mine
Joseph Sapienza
June 30, 2009 - 3:56PM
The mine workers' union is demanding a federal inquiry into safety on mine sites after another rock fall at a BHP Billiton nickel mine in Leinster last night forced a worker to stay underground for about two hours.
A BHP Billiton spokesman said a "seismic event" which measured 2.3 on the Richter scale occurred at the Leinster Nickel Operation in the Northern Goldfields about 11.30pm yesterday, resulting in a "relatively small rock fall" of 25 tonnes.
He said all personnel were accounted for following the event, but confirmed one man had to remain underground until the "risk assessment" was completed about 2am today.
Company spokesman Graham Reynolds said the man did not suffer any injuries, but another worker in a different part of the mine required first aid when he received a "minor" injury after piece of rock fell and hit him.
The man in the underground mine - which has a depth of more than 1000m - walked out once he got the OK from engineers.
Mr Reynolds said the Richter scale reading for this incident was "more than 10 times" the reading that caused a previous rock fall of 500 tonnes at the mine earlier this month that left a worker trapped underground overnight.
A Department of Mines and Petroleum spokeswoman said the Department's Resources Safety Division was sending an inspector to the site.
"The Department has issued a prohibition notice which ensures operations do not resume until the area is secured and safe," she said.
Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union state secretary Steve McCartney said this latest incident added to the "long string of safety problems at BHP mines", and he accused the State Government of failing to stand up to the mining giant over safety issues.
"BHP's atrocious safety record must be urgently examined before more deaths and injuries take place at their mines," he said.
"There has long been a culture of cover-up at BHP sites and it's time there was an open independent investigation into their safety record."
Mr McCartney revealed the union had been gathering signatures to petition the Federal Government to hold an inquiry into safety practices at BHP mines.
"We've given up on the State Government doing anything to protect the safety of WA workers so we're appealing to the Federal Government to do the job," he said.
"An independent inquiry is urgently needed to investigate why these tragic events happen on BHP mine sites and to recommend what needs to be done to guarantee the safety of BHP workers."
Mr Reynolds denied allegations BHP Billiton had told workers that the company would not release details about the rock fall to the public.
"During personnel debriefs at the end of the shift, the mining manager confirmed that BHP Billiton had not yet released anything to the media," he said.
"No one was directed not to talk to the media (and) no statement was made that BHP Billiton would not

http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/another-man-trapped-at-bhp-leinster-mine-20090630-d3e4.html

Denison May Start Mining Uranium in Zambia in 2012, Times Says
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By Geoffrey Kampembwa
June 29 (Bloomberg) -- Denison Mines Corp., which produces uranium in North America, may start mining the mineral in Zambia by 2012, the Times of Zambia reported, citing Andre Goode, the company’s director for Africa.
About 112 families will have to be relocated to make way for the mine, the Lusaka-based newspaper reported. Toronto-based Denison, which started uranium exploration in Siavonga in southern Zambia in 2007, has invested about $23 million in the project so far, the Times of Zambia said.
Last Updated: June 29, 2009 06:05 EDT

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601082&sid=a20OqccLGBG8

A Plea To President Obama: End Mountaintop Coal Mining by James Hansen
YALE ENVIRONMENT 360
JUNE 29, 2009 1:22 PM

by James Hansen
Tighter restrictions on mountaintop removal mining are simply not enough. Instead, a leading climate scientist argues, the Obama administration must prohibit this destructive practice, which is devastating vast stretches of Appalachia.
President Obama speaks of “a planet in peril.” The president and the brilliant people he appointed in energy and science know that we must move rapidly to carbon-free energy to avoid handing our children a planet that has passed climate tipping points.

The science is clear. Burning all fossil fuels will destroy the future of young people and the unborn. And the fossil fuel that we must stop burning is coal. Coal is the critical issue. Coal is the main cause of climate change. It is also the dirtiest fossil fuel — air pollution, arsenic, and mercury from coal have devastating effects on human health and cause birth defects.

Recently, the administration unveiled its new position on mountaintop coal mining and set out a number of new restrictions on the practice in six Appalachian states. These new rules will require tougher environmental review before blowing up mountains. But it’s a minimal step.

The Obama administration is being forced into a political compromise. It has sacrificed a strong position on mountaintop removal in order to ensure the support of coal-state legislators for a climate bill. The political pressures are very real. But this is an approach to coal that defeats the purpose of the administration’s larger efforts to fight climate change, a sad political bargain that will never get us the change we need on mountaintop removal, coal or the climate. Coal is the linchpin in mitigating global warming, and it’s senseless to allow cheap mountaintop-removal coal while the administration is simultaneously seeking policies to boost renewable energy.
Mountaintop removal, which provides a mere 7 percent of the nation’s coal, is done by clear-cutting forests, blowing the tops off of mountains, and then dumping the debris into streambeds — an undeniably catastrophic way of mining. This technique has buried more than 800 miles of Appalachian streams in mining debris and by 2012 will have serious damaged or destroyed an area larger than Delaware. Mountaintop removal also poisons water supplies and pollutes the air with coal and rock dust. Coal ash piles are so toxic and unstable that the Department of Homeland Security has declared that the location of the nation’s 44 most hazardous coal ash sites must be kept secret. They fear terrorists will find ways to spill the toxic substances. But storms and heavy rain can do the same. A recent collapse in Tennessee released 100 times more hazardous material than the Exxon-Valdez oil spill.
We must make clear that we the people want a move toward a rapid phase-out of coal emissions now.
If the Obama administration is unwilling or unable to stop the massive environmental destruction of historic mountain ranges and essential drinking water for a relatively tiny amount of coal, can we honestly believe they will be able to phase out coal emissions at the level necessary to stop climate change? The issue of mountaintop removal is so important that I and others concerned about this problem will engage in an act of civil disobedience on June 23 at a mountaintop removal site in Coal River Valley, West Virginia. [Editor's note: Hansen and 30 other protesters were arrested at the June 23 protest and charged with impeding traffic outside a Massey Energy coal site in Raleigh County, West Virginia.] Experts agree that energy efficiency and carbon-free energies can satisfy our energy needs. Coal left in the ground is useful. It holds up the mountains, which, left intact, are an ideal site for wind energy. In contrast, mountaintop removal and strip mining of coal is a shameful abomination. Mining jobs have shrunk to a small fraction of past levels. With clean energy, there could be far more, green-energy jobs, and the government could support the retraining of miners, to a brighter, cleaner future.
Politicians may have to make concessions on what is right for what is winnable. But as a scientist and a citizen, I believe the right course is very clear: The climate crisis demands a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants that do not capture and safely dispose of all emissions. And mountaintop removal, providing only a small fraction of our energy, should be permanently prohibited.

President Obama remains the best hope, perhaps the only hope, for real change. If the president uses his influence, his eloquence, and his bully pulpit, he could be the agent of real change. But he does need our help to overcome the political realities of compromise.

We must make clear to Congress, to the EPA, and to the Obama administration that we the people want mountaintop removal abolished and we want a move toward a rapid phase-out of coal emissions now. The time for half measures and caving in to polluting industries is over. It is time for citizens to demand — yes, we can.
This piece originally appeared in e360.

http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/010073.html

Malaysia denies enviro damage due to gold mining
2009-06-30 05:35:00
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PUTRAJAYA (Malaysia): Malaysia has rejected the allegation that gold mining will cause health hazards and environmental pollution in the country.

In a statement, natural resources and environment minister Datuk Douglas Unggah Embas has rejected claims that gold mining activities would lead to environmental damage and health risks.

Villagers in Kampung Sungai Lui and Bukit Koman, Raub are up in arms over goal mining in the area as they are living about five metres away from the mine.

The minister said an environmental impact assessment (EIA) was approved after studies showed that the carbon in leach technology used would not affect the environment and safety of the villagers.

This technology had been referred to foreign bodies such as the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Mineral and Energy, Western Australia, which found it to be viable and safe.

Complaints by the villagers were considered way before the EIA approval was given. Mitigating measures as to the use of cyanide had also been put into place, he said.

Unggah said the use and delivery of cyanide for the activities came under the purview of the international cyanide management code for manufacturers and use of cyanide in the production of gold.

The Barisan Nasional government will always remain sensitive to whatever industries or activities taking place in this country, including gold mining.

“That is why we have enacted various laws and guidelines to govern and monitor the industries, including gold mining activities.”

A news portal had reported that about 3,000 villagers wanted the mining company to stop its operations.

Led by members of the Action Committee Against the Use of Cyanide, they wanted the company to provide the EIA report and to stop the project.

http://www.commodityonline.com/news/Malaysia-denies-enviro-damage-due-to-gold-mining-19077-3-1.html


une 29th, 2009
Mining and free trade in Eritrea
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Posted by: Alison Williams
Tags: Africa Blog, Africa, Afwerki, economy, Eritrea, gold,Isaias, Massawa, mining
Eritrea’s President Isaias Afwerki has guarded his country jealousy since independence, pushing a self-reliant attitude that encourages Eritreans to rebuild Eritrea for themselves.
But in order to develop the potentially lucrative mining and trade sectors, he will have to open up the country more to foreign money and therefore possible foreign influence.
The government intends to launch free trade zones at its main ports in Massawa and Assab on its Red Sea coast, and dozens of firms, including from China, India and Dubai, have already registered to operate there to take advantage of the bustling cargo shipping lanes.
Reserves of gold, zinc and copper have been found in Eritrea and analysts are predicting a mining boom. Fourteen foreign firms are exploring in the country and the first project is expected to start producing gold by late 2010.
“We believe mining will play an important role in boosting the economy and the government is committed to develop it,” Alem Kibreab, director-general of mines, told Reuters Africa Journal.
The authorities want the sector to be developed slowly and carefully to prevent the so-called “resources curse”, where oil and minerals have spawned and corruption violence in Africa.
After the long struggle for independence from Ethiopia and subsequent border dispute, expectations for the development of the economy to support the population of 4 million are high - although Afwerki says the mining sector is no magic solution.
“Let’s not be misled that this gold is going to change everything and let’s not be relaxed,” he said. “Getting relaxed and trying to rely on, or at least anticipating to heavily rely on this resource may be crippling.”
(Photo: Eritrea’s President Isaias Afwerki listens to a question during an interview with Reuters in the capital Asmara. Reuters/Ho New)

http://blogs.reuters.com/africanews/2009/06/29/mining-and-free-trade-in-eritrea/
Other News
India would like to see an equitable outcome at Copenhagen'

Vandana Gombar / New Delhi June 30, 2009, 1:02 IST

India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), whose modalities are yet to be worked out, will play a key role in India’s negotiating strategy at the upcoming Copenhagen Conference. India is looking at commitments on emission reduction by the developed countries as well as financial support for the developing countries to adopt fresh strategies to mitigate the impact of climate change, Prime Minister’s special envoy on climate change Shyam Saran tells Vandana Gombar in an e-mail interview. Excerpts:
Isn’t there a case for moving faster on finalising the nuts and bolts of NAPCC’s eight missions? Given that the action plan is set to mark its first anniversary (June 30), by when do you think India will be ready with an actual action plan to replace the directional document?
Most of the eight National Missions of the national action plan have now been elaborated and the final drafts are ready for submission to the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change. It is true that the exercise of fleshing out the various missions has taken more time than was envisaged earlier.
Has NAPCC strengthened our international negotiating position? What are the advantages it has given us?
NAPCC has demonstrated to the world that India takes the challenge of climate change seriously and has in place a well thought out national strategy to deal with this challenge. It also helps us argue the case that while India is, and will continue to take actions within the limitations of its own resources, a supportive global climate regime is urgently required to help us scale up our efforts.
What does India want out of the Copenhagen Summit?
India would like to see a comprehensive, balanced, and above all, an equitable outcome at Copenhagen. It must be comprehensive in the sense that it must include action on all four pillars of the Bali Action Plan, that is mitigation, adaptation, finance and technology. And finally, technology will be a key determinant of our success in tackling climate change.
What could be a credible wish list?
That developed countries agree to at least a 40 per cent cut in their emissions by 2020 and over 80-90 per cent by 2050. A climate fund is created through assessed contributions of developed countries, totalling at least 0.5 per cent of their GDP, but ideally 1 per cent of their GDP.
Are we perhaps open to committing to some voluntary targets on emission reduction through a big push for solar energy, for instance?
Given the very low level of energy consumption in our country, it is inevitable that our total and per capita emissions will continue to rise in the foreseeable future, before they peak and decline. Nevertheless, India has consciously embraced the philosophy of sustainable growth. This is why the energy intensity of our GDP growth has been declining over the past decade and more. We have delivered 8-9 per cent of annual GDP growth with a less than 4 per cent per annum growth in our energy use. Our PM has made a commitment, which is not required of us legally even as we pursue our goal of economic and social development and poverty eradication. We will not allow our per capita emissions to exceed the average per capita emissions of the developed countries.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/india-would-like-to-see-an-equitable-outcome-at-copenhagen/362504/


Water should be a basic human right, say researchers

Washington, June 30 (ANI): Researchers, in a recent article in the journal PLoS Medicine Editorial, have argued that despite recent international objections, access toclean water should be recognized as a human right.

At the March 2009 United Nations (UN) meetings, coinciding with the World Water Forum, Canada, Russia, and the United States refused to support a declaration that would recognize water as a basic human right.
But, this flies in the face of considerable evidence that access to water, which is essential for health, is under threat.
The UN has estimated that 2.8 billion people in 48 countries will be living in conditions of water stress or scarcity by 2025.
Three reasons are outlined for why access to clean water should be declared a basichuman right.
Firstly, access to clean water can substantially reduce the global burden disease caused by water-borne infections.
Millions of people are affected each year by a range of water-borne diseases including diarrhea, which is responsible for 1.8 million potentially preventable deaths per year, mostly among children under the age of five.
Secondly, the privatization of water, as witnessed in Bolivia, Ghana and other countries, has not effectively served the poor, who suffer the most from lack of access to clean water.
As Maude Barlow, senior advisor on water issues to the president of the General Assembly of the UN, has argued, “high water rates, cut-offs to the poor, reduced services, broken promises and pollution have been the legacy of privatization.”
Thirdly, the prospect of global water scarcity, exacerbated by climate change, industrial pollution, and population growth, means that no country is immune to a water crisis.
The United States is facing the greatest water shortages of its history, and in Australia severe drought has caused dangerous water shortages in the Murray-Darling river basin, which provides the bulk of its food supply.
According to researchers, a human rights framework offers what the water situation needs—international recognition from which concerted action and targeted funding could flow; guaranteed standards against which the protected legal right to water could be monitored; and accountability mechanisms that could empower communities to advocate and lobby their governments to ensure that water is safe, affordable, and accessible to everyone. (ANI)


http://www.duniyalive.com/?p=41013

ST community wants own ministry, department
30 Jun 2009, 0252 hrs IST, TNN

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PONDA: Goa's scheduled tribes have demanded a separate ministry and department in the state. They also want an assembly constituency reserved for

their candidates. Govind Gaude, coordinator of the United Tribals Associations Alliance that had its first convention in Farmagudi on Sunday, claimed that the chief minister had agreed to the demands.

"Like the constituency reserved for scheduled castes, we also want one for our candidates. The CM has agreed to our demands," Gaude said. Talking about the convention, he said it was held to create awareness about the community's rights and also to decide on matters concerning education, social empowerment etc.

The alliance, he said, also demanded educational allowance for its unemployed youth, implementation of forest land resolution passed by the centre in 2002 and constitution of a tribal commission as assured by the state in January this year.


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Goa/ST-community-wants-own-ministry-department/articleshow/4717954.cms

Americans Assess How to Fight Climate Change
June 30, 2009

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The views of adults in the United States on climate change are shifting, according to a poll by TNS released by the Washington Post and ABC News. 59 per cent of respondents think the U.S. should take action to curb global warming even if other countries such as China and India do less, down nine points since July 2008.
In addition, 18 per cent of respondents believe the U.S. should take no action at all—down five points in a year—and 20 per cent would consent to the U.S. acting if other countries agree.
The term global warming refers to an increase of the Earth’s average temperature. Some theories say that climate change might be the result of human-generated carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. In 2007, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report which states that global warming has been "very likely"—or 90 per cent certain—caused by humans burning fossil fuels.
In 1998, several countries agreed to the Kyoto Protocol, a proposed amendment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The agreement commits nations to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The U.S. has not ratified the treaty, which is due to expire in 2012.
In October 2007, former U.S. vice-president Al Gore and the IPCC were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change."
On Jun. 26, the U.S. House of Representatives voted 219-212 to approve the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), which seeks to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 17 per cent below 2005 levels by 2020 and 83 per cent by 2050.
Yesterday, Obama urged the Senate to pass the bill, adding, "We can cede the race for the 21st century, or we can embrace the reality that our competitors already have: The nation that leads the world in creating a new clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the 21st century global economy. That’s our choice: between a slow decline and renewed prosperity; between the past and the future."
Polling Data
Do you think the United States should take action on global warming only if other major industrial countries such as China and India agree to do equally effective things, that the United States should take action even if these other countries do less, or that the United States should not take action on this at all?
Jun. 2009 Jul. 2008
Action if others agree 20% 18%
Action even if others do less 59% 68%
No action 18% 13%
Unsure 3% 2%
Source: TNS / Washington Post / ABC News
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,001 American adults, conducted from Jun. 18 to Jun. 21, 2009. Margin of error is 3.5 per cent.

http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/view/33685/americans_assess_how_to_fight_climate_change/