Latest news with #Harita
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Leaked documents reveal alleged cover-up of poison in water supply — here are the details
A nickel mining company in Indonesia is facing serious heat after leaked documents revealed they "did not disclose" polluting the local water supply with a cancer-causing chemical. The Guardian recently reported that the Harita Group allegedly lied about contaminating drinking water on the remote Obi Island with unsafe levels of hexavalent chromium (Cr6), the same chemical associated with Erin Brockovich in the 1990s. Cr6 is known to cause cancer, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, targeting the respiratory system, kidneys, liver, skin, and eyes. In Indonesia, the world's largest supplier of nickel, the maximum contaminant level of Cr6 legally allowed in drinking water is 50 parts per billion (ppb). An initial investigation by the Guardian in 2022, however, found the contaminant levels in a nearby village exceeding 60 ppb, which Harita disproved with its own lab results. However, the leaked documents revealed that just one day after releasing a statement, Harita found that the spring water did not meet Indonesian water quality standards and found even higher contamination values in the following days. Nickel production has become a booming business, as it is a crucial component of electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines, and solar panels. However, the push for more technology that is kinder to the environment requires an upfront manufacturing process that releases harmful carbon dioxide. While material suppliers want to meet growing demand, they must ensure they are doing the least harm possible during this process to offset the initial environmental impact of nickel production. By neglecting the responsibility of keeping drinking water clean, the Harita Group has undermined the value of the clean technology it supplies. Unfortunately, Cr6 contamination is not an uncommon occurrence. In the U.S., there have been recent incidents of company neglect leading to unsafe drinking water. Harita has yet to respond to the claims posed by The Guardian, but environmental experts say the new information should be taken seriously by the company and the Indonesian authorities. Environmental attorney Matthew Baird noted that while nickel production is crucial to a healthier planet, ensuring fair mining practices for the sake of nearby communities is a vital element of that effort. "Nickel is meant to be one of the transition metals [toward a more sustainable economy] and we require a just transition to ensure the protection of the environment, human rights, and the community," Baird said, per The Guardian. Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Yes — always Yes — often Yes — sometimes No — never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Time of India
02-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
The hidden cost of Indonesia's nickel boom
The hidden cost of Indonesia's nickel boom (Credits: AP) In the heart of Obi — a forested, mountainous island in northeastern Indonesia once known for its spices and quiet fishing settlements — life used to revolve around sago groves and clean rivers. Locals drank the clear, fast-running water directly from streams and springs. But when a nickel mine was opened, things began to change. "The water tastes different now and sometimes there are bubbles. It gives us stomach aches," says local resident Nurhayati Jumadi. "But I can't afford bottled water, so we still drink from the spring." In research coordinated by the investigative outlets Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and The Gecko Project, thousands of leaked internal emails and reports were made available by the transparency group Distributed Denial of Secrets. The documents clearly show the Obi village of Kawasi was subjected to systematic pollution at the hands of Indonesia's Harita Group for more than a decade — starting in 2012. DW and other partners were granted access to these documents, which they analyzed over several months. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 단 3%만이 바다를 지배할 수 있습니다. 당신은 그들을 뛰어넘을 수 있나요? Sea of Conquest 플레이하기 Undo The Harita Group natural resources conglomerate runs a sprawling mining and smelting complex around Kawasi supplying nickel for electric vehicle batteries sold across Europe, China, and the United States. But the local population pays a high environmental price. Where it all began The Harita Group started extracting nickel on the island in 2010 through its subsidiary PT Trimegah Bangun Persada (PT TBP), controlled by the Indonesian billionaire Lim Hariyanto. The first signs of pollution were detected soon thereafter. As early as 2012, internal emails flagged contamination from hexavalent chromium or chromium 6 (Cr6) — a highly toxic chemical and known carcinogen — in the Tugaraci river downstream of the mining site. The local community used the river for drinking, fishing and bathing. The company's now director of health, safety and environment, Tonny Gultom, explicitly identified mining and factory runoff as the pollution source. Cr6 is regulated worldwide, including in Indonesia which stipulates that drinking water cannot contain more than 50 micrograms per liter — roughly a drop in an Olympic-sized pool. Yet the information in the internal communication was not shared with residents, who stood to be impacted. Instead, it was sent quietly up the chain. In one 2017 mail marked 'for your eyes only', Harita's then general manager of government relations and compliance, forwarded company directors a mail in which Gultom warned of an "increasing trend" towards Cr6 contamination, clearly citing "active mining" as the cause. A lack of data makes it impossible to pinpoint exactly when the pollution started showing up in a Kawasi spring used by villagers, but Harita's internal testing seen by DW confirms contamination in 2022. One result reveals levels 19 times higher than the legal threshold. The complexities of tracking Kawasi nickel Meanwhile, the global electric vehicle market was starting to surge. By 2021, EV sales had jumped by 109% over 12 months, signaling a booming demand for battery minerals like nickel. That same year, Harita expanded its operations around Kawasi, partnering with Chinese metals giant Lygend to launch Indonesia's first High Pressure Acid Leaching (HPAL) plant a facility that converts low-grade nickel for use in EV batteries. Sale agreements and shipping records reviewed by DW show Harita supplying nickel to key players in the battery material industry. These companies, in turn, feed the world's major battery manufacturers and eventually, global automakers. Knowing where the nickel ends up matters because carmakers and battery producers have pledged to source materials responsibly and to avoid environmental harm in their supply chains. As raw materials from different sources are mixed together along the supply chain, tracing the nickel from Obi Island to a specific electric car is extremely difficult. We reached out to every major company we could identify from available shipping and corporate records to verify their supply chain links. Mercedes-Benz was the only automaker to confirm that its EVs contain nickel from Obi Island, saying it was aware of water contamination issues in 2022 and had taken action with what it described as "solid" results. But did not offer further details. Other car companies said they conduct due diligence and require ethical sourcing from suppliers, but did not confirm any ties to Obi Island, noting they do not source materials directly from mines. And IPO and efforts to conceal contamination In 2023, as the boom in EVs continued, Harita began preparing to list its nickel subsidiary on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. And the pressure to conceal contamination intensified. In due diligence documents submitted to banks including BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse, and Citigroup, Harita claimed its water quality met legal standards. But documents analyzed by DW show internal tests from just weeks earlier flagged excessive Cr6 concentrations — not only at the Kawasi spring but across wastewater sites. Equally, an environmental audit commissioned by Harita as part of the IPO (initial public offering) process noted poor treatment facilities, incomplete data and chemical indicators breaching groundwater standards. Nevertheless, the IPO went ahead, raising $660 million (€600 million). Despite repeated DW requests for comment, the Harita Group, Gultom, and other company executives, had not responded by the time of publication. A billion dollars but no reliable drinking water Indonesia has become the world's largest supplier of nickel, accounting for nearly 60% of global output. Six percent of that comes from Kawasi, whose residents no longer live in a pristine village, but in the shadow of an industrial city. And a wealthy one at that. In 2023, Harita's nickel operations generated over $1 billion in revenue. Yet the region of North Maluku, where Obi is located, has one of Indonesia's highest poverty rates. And Kawasi itself even lacks reliable access to clean water. "If you have money, you buy bottled water. If not, you drink what's there," said Mann Noho, a former Harita worker. "Whether it is healthy or not." The villagers interviewed say they have never been warned by Harita about water contamination. Indeed several internal company emails show that officials actively discouraged sharing pollution data with locals. And the community has not been provided with an alternative water supply. "They let us drink it knowing it's polluted," said local resident Nurhayati Jumadi. "That means they are letting us die." What happens now? The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA), a respected auditing body, is currently reviewing Harita Nickel for certification. IRMA's executive director Aimee Boulanger told DW she is hoping to change things for the better. "We're not here to give green stars," she said. "We're here to shift industry expectations." Laode Syarif, a former commissioner of Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) who saw a redacted version of the documents which revealed no names, said the contamination and efforts to conceal it could lead to criminal prosecution under environmental law. "The government must act," he said. There are existing legal examples around Cr6 pollution. Not least the 1996 case that saw the US utility company PG&E ordered to pay $333 million in damages after the carcinogen was found in the water in Hinkley, California. It was one of the largest civil settlements in the country's history and led to cleanup efforts and stricter regulations. More recently, nickel mines on the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi and Halmahera — as well as other sites — have come under pressure from citizens to clean up and pay compensation for their activities. And now environmental groups like JATAM, which highlights the environmental and social impacts of nickel mining, are working with Kawasi residents to demand action including long-term health assessments and alternative water supplies. "If I had known that it was contaminated with cancerogenic compounds, I wouldn't have drunk it," said Nurhayati. "We have to demand that the company act so we can get clean water." Eli Moskowitz from OCCRP and Alon Aviram from nonprofit investigative newsroom,The Gecko Project, contributed their findings to this report. An Indonesian journalist who cannot be named for security reasons also contributed reporting.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Company supplying critical EV metal ‘did not disclose' Erin Brockovich pollutant in drinking water
One of Indonesia's largest nickel-mining companies, which supplies a mineral critical to the global electric car industry, did not tell the public that local drinking water was polluted, according to documents seen by the Guardian. Indonesia has become the world's biggest producer of nickel, used in the production of wind turbines, solar panels and electric vehicle batteries. But observers have voiced concerns that regulatory oversight in the country has failed to keep up with the rush to develop mines to satisfy booming global demand. Leaked documents seen by the Guardian suggest a source of drinking water close to a $1bn (£800m) mining project owned by the Indonesia-based Harita Group on remote Obi Island, was contaminated with unsafe levels of hexavalent chromium (Cr6), the cancer-causing chemical more widely known for its role in the Erin Brockovich story and film. Cr6 can cause liver damage, reproductive problems and developmental harm when ingested or inhaled. Long-term exposure through drinking water has also been linked to stomach cancer. Evidence has shown that Cr6 in drinking water can be a result of industrial processes. The leak comes after a Guardian investigation into pollution at the site in 2022 was disputed by the mining company, which extracts and processes nickel for use in EV batteries. For the 2022 investigation, water samples collected from a spring in the village of Kawasi, less than 200 metres from the mining site, were tested at government-certified laboratories and suggested high levels of contamination from carcinogenic Cr6 of 60 parts per billion (ppb). The maximum contaminant level allowed by law in Indonesia is 50ppb. In response to the Guardian's original investigation, a Harita company said its own results had shown that the spring water was suitable for consumption and met the quality standards set by the Indonesian government. However, the leaked documents and emails suggest a Harita company found the Cr6 values in Kawasi spring, used as drinking water by villagers, in excess of Indonesian quality standards just one day after its statement to the contrary. It then found even higher values in subsequent days. It does not appear to have made this data public. The Guardian was given a chance to review the material by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) in a joint investigation with the Gecko Project, an environmental organisation. The material suggests tests of Kawasi's spring water undertaken by a Harita company found Cr6 concentrations of 70ppb on 1 February 2022, one day after the Harita company provided its statement to the Guardian. On 7 February 2022 a value of 128ppb was recorded. A weekly environment report from December 2022 reported that values of 140ppb had been recorded at the spring. Related: 'We are afraid': Erin Brockovich pollutant linked to global electric car boom Harita has not responded to requests for comment on the leaked material and test results but in a press release published on its website this month, the company said it conducts periodic monitoring of the water at Kawasi spring to ensure it is safe and uncontaminated. Environmental health experts have said the test results suggest a significant issue with pollution. Matthew Baird, an environmental lawyer based in south-east Asia, said: 'These are figures that need to be taken into account not just by the company, but also the Indonesian government.' 'Nickel is meant to be one of the transition metals [to move to a green, low-carbon economy] and we require a just transition to ensure the protection of the environment, human rights and the community,' he said.
The Guardian
30-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Company supplying critical EV metal ‘did not disclose' Erin Brockovich pollutant in drinking water
One of Indonesia's largest nickel-mining companies, which supplies a mineral critical to the global electric car industry, did not tell the public that local drinking water was polluted, according to documents seen by the Guardian. Indonesia has become the world's biggest producer of nickel, used in the production of wind turbines, solar panels and electric vehicle batteries. But observers have voiced concerns that regulatory oversight in the country has failed to keep up with the rush to develop mines to satisfy booming global demand. Leaked documents seen by the Guardian suggest a source of drinking water close to a $1bn (£800m) mining project owned by the Indonesia-based Harita Group on remote Obi Island, was contaminated with unsafe levels of hexavalent chromium (Cr6), the cancer-causing chemical more widely known for its role in the Erin Brockovich story and film. Cr6 can cause liver damage, reproductive problems and developmental harm when ingested or inhaled. Long-term exposure through drinking water has also been linked to stomach cancer. Evidence has shown that Cr6 in drinking water can be a result of industrial processes. The leak comes after a Guardian investigation into pollution at the site in 2022 was disputed by the mining company, which extracts and processes nickel for use in EV batteries. For the 2022 investigation, water samples collected from a spring in the village of Kawasi, less than 200 metres from the mining site, were tested at government-certified laboratories and suggested high levels of contamination from carcinogenic Cr6 of 60 parts per billion (ppb). The maximum contaminant level allowed by law in Indonesia is 50ppb. In response to the Guardian's original investigation, a Harita company said its own results had shown that the spring water was suitable for consumption and met the quality standards set by the Indonesian government. However, the leaked documents and emails suggest a Harita company found the Cr6 values in Kawasi spring, used as drinking water by villagers, in excess of Indonesian quality standards just one day after its statement to the contrary. It then found even higher values in subsequent days. It does not appear to have made this data public. The Guardian was given a chance to review the material by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) in a joint investigation with the Gecko Project, an environmental organisation. The material suggests tests of Kawasi's spring water undertaken by a Harita company found Cr6 concentrations of 70ppb on 1 February 2022, one day after the Harita company provided its statement to the Guardian. On 7 February 2022 a value of 128ppb was recorded. A weekly environment report from December 2022 reported that values of 140ppb had been recorded at the spring. Harita has not responded to requests for comment on the leaked material and test results but in a press release published on its website this month, the company said it conducts periodic monitoring of the water at Kawasi spring to ensure it is safe and uncontaminated. Environmental health experts have said the test results suggest a significant issue with pollution. Matthew Baird, an environmental lawyer based in south-east Asia, said: 'These are figures that need to be taken into account not just by the company, but also the Indonesian government.' 'Nickel is meant to be one of the transition metals [to move to a green, low-carbon economy] and we require a just transition to ensure the protection of the environment, human rights and the community,' he said.
