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PRESS RELEASE
For
immediate release
Wednesday, 16 February
2000
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH
INTERNATIONAL:
LESSONS FROM
EUROPEAN CYANIDE DISASTER
In reaction to the disastrous
cyanide spill affecting major
rivers in Eastern Europe, Friends
of the Earth International has
renewed calls to governments and
industry to ban dangerous mining
technologies, switch to available
better alternatives, prevent double
standards, and hold companies
liable for their actions.
"Once again, just like in
Spanish Coto Donana, U.S.
Summitville, Kumtor in Kyrgizstan
and Omai in Guayana, we are
witnessing the serious consequences
of continuing with this outdated,
unnecessary and extremely
destructive industry. The mining
company’s interest is nothing more
than profit at the expense of
people, communities, local
economies and the environment",
said Gabriel Rivas-Ducca (Costa
Rica) of Friends of the Earth
International.
Friends of the Earth
International particularly calls on
governments and industry to:
-
ban new large-scale, toxic
gold mines worldwide. This
extremely risky technology should
be outlawed. Last year, the U.S.
State of Montana banned cyanide
heap-leaching technology in gold
mining. Gold dominates the hard
rock mining industry: almost 70%
of all new mining exploration in
this sector is devoted to the
precious metal.
-
stop using public money to
fund projects such as the Lihir
gold mine in Papua New Guinea
(financed by the EU's European
Investment Bank), which uses
dangerous cyanide technology and
produces almost 90 million tons
of toxic tailings.
-
exploit alternative,
local-based solutions instead of
this unsustainable technology.
Large-scale gold mining is simply
not necessary. Central banks
throughout the world have gold
reserves of more than 35,000
tons, enough to cover demands for
primary metal at current
consumption levels for more than
14 years. Meanwhile, a number of
banks recently started selling
off their gold in reaction to
falling prices. Also, some 78% of
gold production is used in
jewellery.
-
legally binding tools in
companies’ home countries to
prevent double standards.
-
make companies accountable
and fully liable for their
actions, particularly for
clean-up after accidents. The
Australian Esmeralda Exploration
company, manager of the mine,
recently started denying
responsibility for the pollution.
However, the Romanian government
said it had issued "repeated
written warnings" to the company
in the past over the state of
equipment on site.
Jozsef Feiler of Friends of the
Earth Hungary said: "It is
infuriating that the Australian
company flatly denies
responsibility for the obvious
damage it has caused. The double
standards Esmeralda and similar
companies are using in their home
countries and abroad are
unacceptable. All companies should
be fully financially liable for
damage to human health and the
environment, wherever it
occurs."
The cyanide spill from the Baia
Mare mine in Romania has caused
severe pollution of two major East
European rivers, the Tisza and the
Danube. Reports claim that water
life has been eradicated in the
affected waterways. The spill is
now heading for Danube delta, a
wetland of global importance and
one of Europe's best wildlife
habitats.
Contacts:
Gabriel Rivas-Ducca, Mining
Campaign International Coordinator,
Friends of the Earth International
(Costa Rica), telephone
+506-2233925, email
aecoced@sol.racsa.co.cr
Jozsef Feiler, Friends of the
Earth Hungary, telephone
+36-1-2167297, mobile
+36-30-2475695, email
jozseff@bankwatch.org
Vojtech Kotecky, Mining Campaign
Regional Coordinator, Friends of
the Earth International (Czech
Republic), telephone +420-2-290909,
24919187, mobile +420-602-290474,
email: vojtech.kotecky@ecn.cz
Friends of the Earth
International is the world's
largest environmental grass root
network with members in 61
countries.
See Friends of the Earth
Hungary's daily updated web site on
the Baia Mare disaster at:
www.zpok.hu/~jfeiler/baiamare/index.htm
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