Rennell Island bauxite mine

Bauxite is one of the main ingredients used to manufacture aluminium. == Location ==

Rennell Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and neighbouring Bellona Island have a combined population of around 3,000 people. A 2011 to 2021 uptick in bauxite mining in the area occurred around the same time as logging activities. == History ==

The mining company paid the government of the Solomon Islands US$17.8m in 2020 and US$16.4m in 2019. Authorities estimate that about 50% of the bauxite deposit was exported between 2014 and 2021. In 2021, the Solomon Islands government reported that Bintang Delapan had failed to pay taxes and royalties on one third of the bauxite shipments they had exported since 2015, leaving the company owing around AU $16 million of unpaid taxes. == Impact ==

Although the local economy flourished during the peak of the mining boom, the government concedes that the mining leases were poorly regulated, and the Solomon Islands have not benefited from the mining activity. Residents have said that the fabric of their community was damaged by the influx of foreign workers and that their water and soils are polluted. Estimates suggest that over 10,000 square metres of reef and over 4,000 square metres of lagoon habitat were destroyed and could take 130 years to recover. The claim identifies five companies as liable for the damage caused by the spill: Hong Kong-based King Trader Ltd, which owned the stricken vessel; the protection and indemnity insurer Korea P&I, a state-owned South Korean company; miner Bintan Mining Corporation and its subsidiary Bintan Mining (SI) Ltd; and MS Amlin Marine MV, a Dutch provider of charterer’s liability. == References ==