EXPERTS say the Newmont case may be the tip of a large iceberg. Siti Maimunah from the Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam) says that all mining operations have a significant impact on the environment. “Mere dredging causes harm,” she said last week. “Mining is also an industry that guzzles water greedily. There’s also the matter of waste disposal.”

There are three basic types of waste generated by a mining operation. Fi