Mining

30 August 2002

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Rio Tinto Must Abandon Attempts to Mine Jabiluka

Australian environment groups will today challenge Rio Tinto to live up to its rhetoric on environmental and social performance at a mining industry event at the Hilton Hotel in Johannesburg. An industry organized workshop entitled 'Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development' (MMSD) will brief WSSD delegates on a report of the same name. The Global Mining Initiative which led to the MMSD report has been rejected by many environment and social justice organizations internationally as it fails to deal with some of the most controversial issues facing the mining industry.

"Rio Tinto, one of the largest mining company's in the world, initiated work on the Global Mining Initiative and MMSD report. However while Rio Tinto continues to use the language of sustainable development, and is a key participant in the WSSD as a member of the British Government delegation, the company is failing to live up to its rhetoric."

"For example in Australia, Rio Tinto, as owner of the controversial Jabiluka uranium mine in Kakadu National Park. Rio has failed to act on repeated calls by the Aboriginal landowners to rule out developing the Jabiluka mine" said Mark Wakeham, Coordinator of the Environment Centre of the Northern Territory.

"The poor performance of Rio Tinto's Kakadu uranium operations is the focus of a current inquiry in the Australian Senate. Today Rio Tinto will be the target of protests by environmentalists both in Johannesburg and at the company's Australian head office in Melbourne" said Liz Turner of Friends of the Earth Australia.

"We urge Rio Tinto to match their rhetoric with the reality of their operations. Rio Tinto should rehabilitate the Jabiluka mine site and return the mine lease to the Aboriginal landowners. The proposed Jabiluka uranium mine is opposed by traditional owners and surrounded by World-Heritage listed Kakadu National Park. This project should be totally unacceptable for any responsible mining company" said Don Henry, Executive Director of the Australian Conservation Foundation.

For more information contact ECNT:
08 8981 1984 / 8985 3645
Email: ecnt@octa4.net.au

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