Rennell Island bauxite mine
Location | |
---|---|
Location | Rennell Island |
Country | Solomon Islands |
Production | |
Products | Bauxite |
History | |
Opened | Around 2011 |
Closed | 2020 |
Owner | |
Company | Bintang Delapan Group (among others) |
The mine has had multiple spills, causing environmental damage, and local residents say they have not benefited from the mine in proportion to the damage it has caused. The government acknowledged that the mine was poorly regulated. The mining lease was cancelled in October 2020, although the mining company has contested this cancellation in court.[2]
Background
Bauxite is one of the main ingredients used to manufacture aluminium.[1]
Location
Rennell Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and neighbouring Bellona Island have a combined population of around 3,000 people.[3]
A 2011 to 2021 uptick in bauxite mining in the area occurred around the same time as logging activities.[1]
History
The mining company paid the government of the Solomon Islands US$17.8m in 2020 and US$16.4m in 2019.
Authorities estimate that about 50% of the bauxite deposit was exported between 2014 and 2021.[1] In 2021, the Solomon Islands government reported that Bintang Delapan had failed to pay taxes and royalties on one third of the bauxite shipments they had exported since 2015, leaving the company owing around AU $16 million of unpaid taxes.[2]
Impact
Although the local economy flourished during the peak of the mining boom, the government concedes that the mining leases were poorly regulated, and the Solomon Islands have not benefited from the mining activity. Residents have said that the fabric of their community was damaged by the influx of foreign workers and that their water and soils are polluted.[1]
In February 2019, during
5,000 tonnes of bauxite were spilled into the bay in July 2019.[1] By 2021, over half of the impacted areas had not been rehabilitated.[2]
References
- ^ ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
- ^ ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
- ^ https://devpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/wp-post-to-pdf-enhanced-cache/1/rennell-island-two-halves-20170725.pdf
- ^ "Economic losses from Solomon Islands' oil spill disaster near World Heritage site could reach $50m". ABC News. 2020-11-26. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
Further reading