US mine in Indonesia accused of environmental pollution, courts dismiss

PT Newmont Minahasa Raya, a US mining company located in Indonesia recently faced a law suit filed by Walhi, Wahani Lingkungan Hidup Indonesia otherwise known as the Indonesian Forum for Environment. 

The company was accused of polluting the Buyat Bay by illegally disposing of toxins in the water.  However, despite the severity of the accusations, the case was cleared on Tuesday due to a lack of evidence.  There just wasn’t proof of any illegal activity on Newmont’s behalf.

One judge commented that Walhi went “beyond it’s authority.”  A law was passed in 1997 stating that a suit cannot be filed if there was no crime committed.  Regardless, Walhi plans to appeal the court’s verdict.  They claim that the court only studied the “formal evidence” but failed to see the obvious.  It is clear that not everything is environmentally sound at Buyat Bay, fish have died and the reef is significantly damaged.