Rio Tinto’s dirty QMM mine in Madagascar is contaminating pristine lakes and waterways where locals draw their drinking water -- and say the mine is undermining their health and destroying livelihoods.
When locals took to the streets in June to protest against the mine, military troops fired tear gas, injuring people and arresting dozens.
Rio Tinto had agreed to pay compensation for losses due to the mine’s impacts. But the compensation process was riddled with reports of human rights violations including intimidation, gagging orders and inadequate payments.
Will you support local communities by building a massive public outcry against the mining corporations' bullying and polluting practices?
Sign the petition calling on Rio Tinto to stop its polluting practices at QMM mine and allow independent audits of the water quality and compensation process.
The mine is not just affecting water quality, it is undermining the local communities' health, depleting fish stocks and impacting food production which has reduced people's income by as much as 50%.
A study of QMM’s water data showed elevated levels of uranium in the mine basin and in waterways downstream 50x higher than World Health Organisation safe drinking water guidelines.
Other concerning contaminants detected include lead, aluminium and cadmium.
The mining giant denies that QMM is impacting the environment or having any effect on water quality or the health of local people. Yet it won't allow any independent audit of the water quality issues.
Rio Tinto is the second biggest mining corporation in the world whilst Madagascar is the 5th poorest country in the world, and a biodiversity hotspot. In the Anosy region where the mine operates, over 91% of rural people are living in multidimensional poverty.
Add your name to the petition now → tell Rio Tinto to clean up its act and stop polluting lakes and rivers.
More information
Mongabay. 28 April 2023.
Mining Technology. 5 September 2018.
Mongabay. 16 May 2023.
RFI. 4 July 2023.
IndustriALL. 19 July 2023.