Mercury Rising

Pollution by toxic waste, especially mercury from gold mining, is prevalent in various regions. A disaster on the scale of Japan's Minamata Bay tragedy lurks.

January 30, 2001

A troublesome accident just reared its ugly, potentially devastating head at PT Newmont Nusatenggara, a multinational copper and gold mining company operating in Sumbawa, West Nusatenggara. Last week, its waste disposal pipe sprung a leak: a hole 2 centimeters in diameter that released tailings—processed rocks and seawater. To anticipate public hysteria, the firm quickly informed the press and local residents about the leak on Tuesday, a da

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