-
Rio Tinto faces lawsuit over Panguna copper mine in Bougainville
Thousands of people in Bougainville, an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea, have filed a class action lawsuit against Rio Tinto Plc and its former unit Bougainville Copper Ltd. over what they say is historical mismanagement of the massive Panguna copper mine. Panguna, which was operated by Bougainville Copper, shut in 1989 after local protests over the disbursement of revenue from the mine degenerated into a civil war that killed as many as 20,000 people. The villagers are seeking compensation for loss and damage that could be expected to be in the billions of dollars, said Matthew Mennilli, a lawyer representing ... (full story)