Extractive industries

U.S. court rules against Chevron in Ecuador case

Kailash — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:50:22 +0000

Ecuadorans suing Chevron Corp. over pollution in the Amazon rain forest are one step closer to collecting a $9.5 billion judgment against the San Ramon company.

A U.S. appeals court on Monday lifted a lower court’s order that had blocked the Ecuadorans from collecting money in the long-running lawsuit.

In February, a judge in Ecuador ruled that Chevron should pay to clean up contamination in the oil fields where Texaco, bought by Chevron in 2001, once worked. But the company persuaded a U.S. judge to block enforcement, arguing that the verdict was the result of fraud.

Saami communities protest against mining on their lands in the Kalix River Valley

Kailash — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:11:10 +0000

The Saami reindeer herding communities of Girjas and Laevas in Northern Sweden have recently expressed their firm opposition over Australian backed Kiruna Iron AB’s plans to mine in the Kalix River Valley.

Largest abandoned uranium mine cleanup on Navajo Nation announced

Kailash — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:39:05 +0000

RENO, NV – The U.S.

Hundred Arrested in Ottawa Tar Sands Protest

Kailash — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:31:00 +0000

Ottawa, ON – Hundreds have been arrested on Parliament Hill while protesting the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. The protests have been organized by First Nations and environmental organizations, and are endorsed by Dene Nation.

Dene National Chief Bill Erasmus has joined the protests, and spoke to the crowd of one thousand about the impacts of tar sands developments on Dene.

“Toxic tailings ponds already cover hundreds of square kilometres , and are growing by the minute,” Erasmus said.

GDAE Releases Report on Mining Activities in Guatemala: “Searching for Gold in the Highlands of Guatemala: Economic Benefits and

Kailash — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:20:32 +0000

The Marlin mine in Guatemala, owned and operated by the Canadian company Goldcorp, has been a source of local conflict and international controversy for nearly a decade. Mining is a major issue in the September 2011 Guatemalan elections, and continues to be a controversial topic in local politics.

First Nation says Consultation Laws are a Matter of Community Assertion

Kailash — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:21:02 +0000

SERPENT RIVER FIRST NATION – A push towards a consultation law is high on the agenda of a First Nation Council as it winds down a 2-year set of priorities in the next two months.

On Monday night Serpent River First Nation Chief and Council unanimously endorsed the codification of a Consultation Law and the development of a Free, Prior and Informed Consent Policy Framework.

Located on the northern shores of Lake Huron, the territory of Serpent River is the homeland to over 12 hundred Anishnabek and their families.

Extraction of natural resources a key cause of abuse of indigenous peoples’ rights

Kailash — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:06:30 +0000

GENEVA – The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, James Anaya, warned Wednesday that indigenous communities’ right to self-determination in the political, social and economic spheres is being threatened by the current model for advancing with natural resource extraction.

“Natural resource extraction and other major development projects in or near indigenous territories are one of the most significant sources of abuse of the rights of indigenous peoples worldwide,” said Mr. Anaya in his latest report* to the UN Human Rights Council.

Ecuador charges indigenous activists with terrorism

Kailash — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:01:10 +0000

Indigenous and environmental activists opposing mining projects face terrorism charges in Ecuador.

Reining in Cowboy Mining Companies

Kailash — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:24:31 +0000

WASHINGTON – In the seemingly lawless global free-for-all to lay claim to reserves of the world’s most precious remaining natural resources, experts warn that “cowboy mining companies” are plundering the earth’s riches and leaving little left for the rest.

But laws do exist, and better governance of what is known in technical terms as “resource extraction” can help prevent such abuses, according to University of Oxford economics professor Paul Collier.

Collier, who spoke at World Bank meetings here last week at a panel session hosted by the Revenue Watch Institute (RWI), said civil socie

Explain tax avoidance reports, ActionAid tells Glencore

Kailash — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:43:13 +0000

ACTIONAID Zambia has challenged Glencore to “clear the air” on tax avoidance allegations in Zambia before embracing the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).

Country representative Pamela Chisanga said Glencore, the owners of Mopani Copper Mine, should not sidetrack from clearing its name on the tax avoidance issues her institution raised last year.

Last week, there were assertions that commodities trader, Glencore, would own up support for a global standard on transparency in natural resources by declaring its support to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative