Action Alert: March 2-10, 2010
Ecological nightmare is associated with a planned nickel and cobalt mine on Halmahera Island in Indonesia. Twenty-one per cent of Weda Bay Nickel’s mining area is actually part of Indonesia’s protected area system and includes the Lalobata and Aketajawe National Park. The mine will destroy 35,155 ha of protected forest. Approximately 17 million tons of rock will be dug each year from this small and fragile island rich in biodiversity.
Export of the nickel and cobalt from this mine is expected to reach 65,000 tons each year. The mine plans to dump their waste into Weda Bay. The mine plans to use sulfuric acid heap leaching to extract the nickel from the ore.
We reject the role of the World Bank (through MIGA) and financial institutions everywhere that provide insurance and funds to dangerous projects such as the PT Weda Bay Nickel mine.
Support the Halmahera people and ecosystem by reading and signing on to the letter below before March 10, 2010. Sign the letter by sending an email with your full name, organization and country to luluk@jatam.org The letter will be sent to the World Bank and associated parties.
Indonesian version found here: http://www.jatam.org/content/view/1208/1/
JATAM, WALHI, KIARA & KAU
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March 10, 2010
To MIGA/World Bank:
Reject World Bank funding of the PT Weda Bay Nickel project Halmahera Island is a unique island rich in biological diversity. Today, this island is experiencing unprecedented rates of destruction brought on by the mining industry. All the main bays found on this island have and will become sites of waste disposal for large-scale gold and nickel mining operations.
This destruction will only intensify with the presence of the PT Weda Bay Nickel mine in the centre of Halmahera Island. From March 1-10, 2010, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) of the World Bank will conduct a feasilbility assessment of this mine in order to determine whether it should provide political risk insurance for construction of this mine, which would be the second largest nickel mine in Indonesia. PT Weda Bay Nickel is owned by the France-based company, Eramet (56.5%),
Mitsubishi (33.4%) and PT Aneka Tambang (Antam) (10%). About 21% of the proposed mine area is located in protected areas including nature and wildlife reserves of the Lalobata and Aketajawe National Park. Mine plans include clearcutting 35,155 ha of protected forest for the mine.
This mine is very dangerous, besides adversely impacting land and water and consuming larges amounts of energy, the mine plans to dump their tailings into Weda Bay, thereby threatening the existence of the entire island of Halmahera, North Maluku. Every year, the company will dig 17 millions of rock and treat 5 million tons of ore to produce 60,000 tons of nickel and 4,000 tons of cobalt. PT Weda Bay Nickel plans to use the controversial sulfuric acid heap leaching process, and develop a sulfuric acid plant that will need 1 million tons of sulfur each year.
Considering the facts mentioned above:
- We reject the involvement of the World Bank’s Multilateral Investment Guarnatee Agency (MIGA) in providing insurance and funds to dirty projects that destroy local environments, like the PT Weda Bay Nickel project. We demand an end to the feasibilty assessment and cancellation of plans to provide political risk insurance to this dangerous project.
- We reject all involvement of multilateral funding institutions in funding and insuring extractive industries in Indonesia.
- We call on the Government of Indonesia to cancel all contracts with PT Weda Bay Nickel as it will destroy the local economy of Halmahera residents.
- We call on the Government of Indonesia to ensure the rights of Indonesians to live in a safe and healthy environment (Rights on the Environment as a citizen Constitutional Right – 28H UUD ‘45)
- We reject this project because it compromises Indonesia’s commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26% by the year 2020. This project is fossil fuel intensive and will compromise the forest resources found in the Lalobata and Aketajawe protected area, an area of 35,155 ha.
- In the name of the law and state constitution, we demand that the country protect the rights of citizens of this country by securing all forms of protest and rejecting the PT Weda Bay Nickel project.
Respectfully yours,
Signatures,
1. Siti Maemunah, Jaringan Advokasi Tambang (JATAM), Indonesia
2. Berry Nahdian Furqon, Wahana Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia (WALHI), Indonesia
3. Rhino Subagyo, Indonesian Center for Environmental Law (ICEL), Indonesia
4. Riza Damanik, Koalisi Rakyat Untuk Keadilan Perikanan (KIARA), Indonesia
5. Dani Setiawan, Koalisi Anti Utang (KAU), Indonesia