Mining produces some of the most toxic environmental waste of any industry, posing a bit of a problem for the corporations plundering our planet for profit. Unfortunately for us, they’ve found an easy way of dealing with the sludge: Dump it directly into the ocean.

“Deep Submarine Tailings Disposal” system (DSTD) is industry-speak for the appalling practice of funnelling a poisoned mix of heavy metals, toxic coagulants and chemicals through a 4-foot diameter pipeline onto sensitive sea and riverbeds at a rate of 200,000 tons a day.

One of the most egregious offenders of DSTD, the Grasberg copper and gold mine in Papua New Guinea, has been generously funded by JP Morgan Chase. That means JP Morgan will help 3 billion tons of mine tailings get dumped into pristine natural water bodies.

Tell JP Morgan Chase to stop financing the destruction of our oceans, lakes, and rivers.

It’s hard to fathom how catastrophic and far-reaching submarine tailings disposal is. The Grasberg mine’s tailings are dumped directly into riverbeds, making their way through estuary wetlands and eventually the Arafura Sea where they settle to the ocean floor. The waste poisons marine life and nearby livestock, contaminates drinking water and can smother and flood whole ecosystems above and below water.

We know this tactic of targeting a mine’s finances works -- because we’ve done it before. When the Carmichael mega-mine convinced the Australian government to approve its project, 50,000 SumOfUS members and partners came together to protect the Great Barrier Reef from environmental devastation by targeting the the mine’s funders. Now we need your help to stop Vanguard from destroying our waterways and oceans. 

Ask JP Morgan Chase to divest from mines that dumps directly into our oceans.

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