Oxfam gets complaints about mining companies

Oxfam gets complaints about mining companies

CANBERRA (AP): An aid group said Wednesday it has been swamped with allegations of human rights abuses and pollution by Australian mining companies operating in other nations.

Oxfam Community Aid Abroad said its mining ombudsman has been unable to probe all of the complaints, which have come from Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Peru.

However, in seven cases investigated in the last 12 months, Oxfam found a pattern of grievances, mining ombudsman Jeff Atkinson said.

In six of the seven cases, communities complained of pollution by mine waste of rivers, used for drinking water, cleaning and fishing, he said.

"Allegations against mining companies included human rights abuses by the police or security forces acting in the companies' interest, pollution of rivers, environmental damage to land, being forced off land without proper compensation and loss of sustainable livelihoods," Atkinson said in a statement.

The ombudsman's annual report cites investigations of complaints involving Australian companies BHP Ltd., Rio Tinto, Aurora Gold, Laverton Gold NL, Placer Dome, Goldfields Ltd. and Dome Resources NL.

The mining ombudsman probes the allegations on-site and if they appear credible, takes them to the company concerned. Significant progress toward resolution of the problems was made in most cases, the report said.

However, Atkinson said Australian environmental standards to which the companies have to comply - even overseas - are inadequate.

Oxfam urged the industry to adopt a human rights-based approach to mining and called for the mining industry to appoint an independent ombudsman to handle complaints.