How much does that gold ring cost?
How much does that gold ring cost?
Ibu Masna, mother of four children, traveled to Jakarta from
her village on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on July 21 to
report the abuses of the world's most profitable gold miner on
her community to the National Police and Ministry of Health.
Masna and other members of her community told officials that
the company is guilty of spreading Minamata Disease.
Newmont, from Denver, Colorado, U.S., have been dumping their
heavy metal-laden waste into Buyat Bay since 1996. Buyat Bay,
once full of fish, had provided income and food for the Buyat Bay
people who live along its shores. Today, the fish are all but
gone from the inner parts of the bay and there are tumors in the
people and fish never seen before the dumping. Newmont stands
accused of polluting the bay with arsenic, mercury, among other
heavy metals.
Local doctor Jane Pangemanan confirmed that about 80 percent
of the Buyat Bay villagers suffer symptoms similar to the victims
of Minamata. Laboratory tests have confirmed high levels of heavy
metals in the blood of Buyat Bay villagers, particularly arsenic
and mercury.
Newmont has continuously denied these accusations stating that
the company has operated in compliance with Indonesian and U.S.
environmental standards. However, mercury emissions, mainly from
coal-fired plants and the chemical industry in the U.S., have led
to advisory guidelines on tuna consumption because of mercury
contamination. Meanwhile, the Bush administration has fought
against more stringent regulations on mercury. Countries like
Indonesia have even lower environmental standards and are perhaps
more vulnerable to pressure from business interests.
Gold has and continues to be extracted, processed and used in
ways that are killing marginalized peoples and the planet.
Most of the gold produced today goes towards making jewelry.
One single 0.33 ounce, 18 karat gold ring produces at least 18
tons of mine waste. The gold mining industry is a voracious
industry satisfying a non-essential market based on vanity.
Meanwhile, Buyat and Cajarmarca people want clean water and good
health for themselves and their children. But gold mining that
uses toxic mercury, cyanide and other heavy metals is robbing
them of these fundamental human rights.
TRACY GLYNN, Mining Advocacy Network, Jakarta