‘Same dangerous project’: Fury after Indonesia revives disputed mine
Indonesia's environment ministry has reapproved a controversial zinc and lead mine in North Sumatra, despite previous Supreme Court rulings against it. Critics argue that the new environmental assessment does not adequately address the risks associated with the mine. Local communities continue to oppose the project, fearing it could threaten their safety and livelihoods.
- ▪The mine's approval was revoked by the Supreme Court last year due to disaster-risk concerns.
- ▪The revised environmental assessment proposes burying mining waste underground instead of using a tailings dam.
- ▪Residents and experts claim the new plan does not realistically mitigate the risks posed by the mine.
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Indonesia’s environment ministry has reapproved a controversial zinc and lead mine in North Sumatra, less than a year after the Supreme Court forced it to revoke the project’s earlier environmental approval over disaster-risk concerns.The revised environmental assessment replaces a proposed tailings dam with a plan to bury mining waste underground, but critics and independent experts say the mining company cannot realistically bury all of its waste and will still require a dangerous aboveground storage facility.Residents, activists and legal advocates argue the new approval is legally flawed because it relies on a framework already annulled by the Supreme Court, and say the company failed to conduct meaningful public consultation or provide key documents to affected…
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