Canada’s mild winter disrupts key ice road to remote Arctic diamond mines
Toronto, Canada Reuters An unusually warm winter in Canada this year has delayed the opening of a 400-kilometre ice road that is rebuilt every year as the main conduit for Rio Tinto, Burgundy Mines , and De Beers to access their diamond mines in the remote Arctic region. The Winter Road, which serves the region accessible only […]
Aboriginal elders suspend Rio Tinto site survey over heritage concerns
Updated: 5:20pm (AEST)Melbourne, AustraliaReuters Aboriginal elders have walked off a heritage survey on a Rio Tinto iron ore project in Western Australia over concerns the global miner has played down the harm it caused them after blasting impacted an Indigenous rock shelter in August. Rio Tinto conducted a visit to the Nammuldi site last weekend […]
Rio’s latest rock shelter damage highlights need for Aboriginal Voice, advocates say
Melbourne, Australia Reuters Damage caused to an Aboriginal rock shelter by mining giant Rio Tinto in August underscores the need for better heritage protection laws and a greater say for Indigenous groups promised in this month’s Voice referendum, advocates say. Rio admitted on 21st September to damaging a rock shelter on 6th August in Western […]
Lost radioactive capsule found in Australian Outback after huge search
Sydney, Australia Reuters Australian authorities on Wednesday found a radioactive capsule smaller than a coin that was lost in the vast Outback after nearly a week-long search involving around 100 people along a 1,400 kilometres stretch of highway, officials said. The Caesium-137 capsule lost in transit more than two weeks ago was discovered when a […]
Rio Tinto apologises after contractor loses radioactive capsule in Australia
Melbourne, Australia Reuters Rio Tinto Ltd’s iron ore division chief Simon Trott apologised on Monday after a contractor hired by the mining giant lost a radioactive capsule in transit in Western Australia, sparking a radiation alert across parts of the state. It is unclear how long the radioactive capsule, part of a gauge used to […]
Australian inquiry recommends new national standards to protect Aboriginal heritage
Melbourne, AustraliaReuters Australia should set out a new national legal framework to protect Aboriginal cultural heritage, an inquiry into the destruction of ancient rock shelters for an iron ore mine found in its final report on Monday. The report said Aboriginal traditional owners should be the top decision makers on development applications that could impact […]
Rio Tinto yet to pay compensation over sacred site destruction
Melbourne, AustraliaReuters Mining giant Rio Tinto is yet to pay compensation to the Aboriginal group whose ancient rock shelters it destroyed for an iron ore mine in Western Australia last year, company officials told a parliamentary inquiry Friday. The incident last year destroyed the historically and culturally significant site at Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara […]
Rio Tinto should pay restitution for sacred Aboriginal caves blast – inquiry
Melbourne, AustraliaReuters Mining giant Rio Tinto Ltd should pay restitution to Indigenous Australians affected by its destruction of two ancient rock shelters to expand an iron ore mine, an inquiry panel said on Wednesday. The panel released an interim report in which it also recommended Rio Tinto should fully reconstruct the rock shelters in Western […]
Rio Tinto vows to preserve ancient Australian rock shelter after outcry over caves blast
Melbourne, AustraliaReuters Rio Tinto has pledged to protect a 43,000-year old rock shelter on the fringe of its Silvergrass iron ore mine in Western Australia as it reviews heritage sites following outrage over the destruction of sacred ancient caves this year. Rio Tinto, which has State Government approval to damage the site, told the Wintawari […]