Devastating impacts of Rio Tinto's former mine going under the microscope
As Rio Tinto shareholders gather in London this week for the company’s AGM, over in Bougainville, the initial steps on a comprehensive environmental and human rights assessment of the company’s former Panguna mine have commenced. The impact assessment is an important step towards addressing the severe and ongoing impacts of the mine.
Over a billion tonnes of waste tailings were released directly into the Jaba and Kawerong rivers during the operation of the Panguna mine in Bougainville between 1972 and 1989. Pollution from the mine continues to poison the rivers and cause environmental destruction, which is having devastating impacts on the lives of thousands of Bougainvillean people living downstream.
In July 2021, Rio Tinto publicly committed to fund an independent impact assessment of its former mine in response to a human rights complaint lodged by Bougainville communities with the Australian Government.
The Impact Assessment is being overseen by an Oversight Committee, comprising community members, landowners, government representatives, human rights lawyers and representatives from Rio Tinto and Bougainville Copper Limited. The Oversight Committee held its second meeting in March to progress the timeframes and processes for the impact assessment, the first phase of which is set to commence in the coming months. A tender process is currently underway to select an independent company to undertake the assessment.
At the first Oversight Committee meeting, Rio Tinto's representative on the committee apologised on behalf of the company for not coming forward earlier to understand the impacts of the mine.
Traditional landowner and MP Theonila Roka Matbob, one of the lead complainants in the human rights complaint, said:
"It is so important that Clan leaders and landowners are now able to talk directly to Rio Tinto representatives and hear that Rio Tinto is committed to a proper impact assessment.
“Everyday our families have to navigate the pollution from the mine. Everyday we worry about collapsing levees, about rivers full of mine waste flooding and about whether the water we drink and wash with is making us sick. It is critical that the investigation is done without delay and that Rio Tinto supports the implementation of solutions to the huge problems we face."
Human Rights Law Centre Legal Director and Committee member, Keren Adams said:
“Given the dangerous and volatile situation that communities around the mine are living in, we are encouraged by Rio Tinto's commitment to properly investigate the mine's impacts and its constructive engagement in the process so far.
“The impact assessment is only the first step – it will help identify solutions but ultimately we need Rio Tinto to commit to funding those solutions so that communities can live on their land in safety.”
Rio Tinto has not yet committed to funding the clean-up and remediation of the mine site. Following the conclusion of the impact assessment, further discussions will be held between the company, community representatives and other stakeholders regarding the assessment’s recommendations and next steps.
For further background on the impacts of the mine, see the Human Rights Law Centre's After the Mine report.
Media contact:
Evan Schuurman, Media and Communications Manager, 0406 117 937 or evan.schuurman@hrlc.org.au