U.S. Chamber Praises Indonesia Court Ruling on Newmont Mining

WASHINGTON, DC-An Indonesian district court's acquittal of the Indonesian unit of Newmont Mining Corp. and its president, American Richard Ness, of polluting the environment will help bolster foreign investors confidence in that country's rule of law.

"This decision is a big step in bolstering Indonesia's reputation among foreign investors," said U.S. Chamber President and CEO Tom Donohue. "This comes at a crucial time-just weeks after the Indonesian Parliament passed an investment law intended to make it easier for foreigners to invest."

The Indonesian court ruled that the PT Newmont Minahasa Raya gold mine did not dump toxic waste into Buyat Bay, causing nearby residents to get ill. Newmont has consistently denied the charges which were first brought against it in 2004. At the trial, the company presented evidence demonstrating that any runoff from the mine was properly disposed of, that it was compliant with environmental standards, that the runoff was not poisonous, and that it did not hurt the local environment. Newmont stopped mining gold at that site in 2002 and covered the mine site two years later.

Several independent tests of the waters of Buyat Bay, including a World Health Organization (WHO) study in 2004, concluded that the bay wasn't contaminated and found that neither villagers nor fish showed toxic levels of metals in their bodies. A separate study by Indonesia's Environment Ministry agreed with the WHO's findings.

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

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