Why BHP Should Leave

BHP Billiton’s has acquired two mining concessions in the Intag region of Ecuador, with intent of opening a open-pit copper mine in one of the most biodiverse places on earth. This decision on BHP Billiton’s part was clearly ill-informed, as it represents a grave threat to a threatened ecosystem as well as a fundamentally risky investment.

Top Five Reasons BHP Should Leave Intag:

1. They would violate their own commitment on Threatened Species. BHP’s Environment and Climate Change GLD  state: “We do not operate where there is a risk of direct impacts to ecosystems that could result in the extinction of an IUCN Red List Threatened Species in the wild.” A recent paper by Roy et al. (2018) found 58 species at risk of extinction within the El Refugio and Intag Cloud Forest Reserves. The BHP concessions contain the entirety of the El Regio area, and a significant portion of the Intag Cloud Forest Reserve.

   

2. They would violate their commitment on Protected Areas. Another of BHP’s environmental commitments states: “We do not explore or extract resources within or adjacent to the boundaries of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Protected Areas Categories I to IV, unless a plan is implemented that meets regulatory requirements, takes into account stakeholder expectations and contributes to the values for which the protected area is listed.” The BHP Billiton concessions are located approximately 5 kilometers from the IUCN recognized:  Cotacachi Cayapas National Park  (IUCN Category II).

   

3. They would violate the Ecuadorian Constitution. Article 57 of Ecuador’s constitution guarantees all citizens the right to free, prior and informed consultation regarding any exploitation of non-renewable resources. “Prior” means that consultation should occur before a concession is granted, something that neither BHP nor the Ecuador government did. In a recent case an Ecuadorian court ordered Junefield Ecuagoldmining to cease all activities due to its noncompliance with Article 57 and Article 398 (which states that prior consultation should be carried out if there is a risk of environmental harm).
4. They would cause irreparable harm to one of the world most Biodiverse places.The Intag region falls within two of the world’s 25 most important biodiversity hotspots: the Tropical Andes and the Choc/Darien/Western Ecuador hotspots (Myers et al. 2000).  The Bishimetal’s Environmental Impact Assessment  (see Mining & Intag) predicted, “massive deforestation” to make way for the mine. These are primary tropical and subtropical cloud forest, some of the few primary cloud forests left in western Ecuador. While BHP’s environmental and social record is by no means clean, they have shown an interest in improving in recent years (most notably by forming an alliance with Conservation International)

   

5. They would endanger Ecuador’s supply of fresh water. The old bishimetals EIA stated that a mine would contaminate various rivers and water sources with heavy metals. These are the water sources of communities downstream. The EIA stated that a mine would contaminate various rivers and water sources with heavy metals. These are the water sources of communities downstream. The levels of cadmium in the water would increase by 4000%, levels of chrome by 1600%.