Indonesian company Harita Group — the world’s largest nickel supplier for batteries electric cars for 10 years discharged toxic chemicals into local water.
A new investigation by Indonesia’s Organized Crime and Corruption Investigation Center (OCCRP) has found evidence of a scheme to dump chemical waste from a nickel mine into local drinking water sources.
It is noted that the Harita nickel mine began operations in 2010. According to OCCRP investigators, for many years, the local water sources. The company discharged spent chromium VI oxide (CrO3) — toxic a by-product of high-temperature nickel mining known as a powerful pollutant.
Harita is one of Indonesia’s key metal producers and suppliers, and its coal smelters is responsible for almost 1% of Indonesia’s total carbon emissions in 2023. The company employs an army of hired environmental scientists who constantly take water and soil samples in accordance with the requirements of national legislation.
In response to criticism in the Harita said it has consistently performed environmental treatment and managed waste disposal in accordance with legal regulations. However, internal company correspondence released to the public shows that when elevated levels of CrO3 in the water, it was decided to hide this information from the public due to the current unfavorable situation. Moreover, the companies were aware of the increased level of CrO3 back in 2012, but made no effort to inform local communities or minimize toxic emissions.
Unfortunately, this is a common practice among companies engaged in the extraction of precious metals, especially when it comes to the extraction of materials for components batteries for electric cars. Electric cars can reduce pollution and improve air quality in rich cities in the West — but at the expense of typically poorer industrial areas in parts of the world where precious metals are mined.
Source: Futurism
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