Ditch Ocean Dumping Campaign Declaration

Clean water and healthy aquatic ecosystems are essential to everyone

And they are central to the cultural and spiritual practice of Indigenous Peoples around the world.

Each year, mining companies dump over 220 million tonnes of tailings, or hazardous mine waste directly into oceans, rivers and lakes—putting communities, fisheries and ecosystems at risk. This practice has repeatedly proven to devastate the environment, and the people that depend on it for food, clean water and livelihoods.

People around the world are suffering the harmful, and often irreparable consequences of aqueous tailings dumping. Although this dirty and unnecessary practice has been phased out in many parts of the world, mining companies still use it, governments still allow it, and some of the world’s largest banks and investment firms still finance it.

Risking the health of communities and ecosystems with toxic mine waste dumping is unnecessary. Any mine that cannot responsibly dispose of its waste should not be built in the first place.

We support a global ban on the dumping of mine waste into oceans, rivers, and lakes. We oppose the financing of any mining project that would use this environmentally harmful practice.

Act Now, Papua New Guinea
Action for Ecology and People’s Emancipation (AEER), Indonesia
Bismarck Ramu Group, Papua New Guinea
BUND – Friends of the Earth Germany
Campax
Center for Biological Diversity, USA
Center for International Environmental Law, USA
Centar za životnu sredinu – Friends of the Earth Bosnia and Herzegovina
Center for Environmental Law and Community Rights (CELCOR) – Friends of the Earth Papua New Guinea
CESTA – Friends of the Earth El Salvador
Defensa Ambiental del Noroeste, Mexico
Deep Sea Mining Campaign
EarthRights International, USA
Earthworks, USA
Framtiden i våre hender (Future in Our Hands), Norway
Friends of the Earth Europe
Friends of the Earth International
Friends of the Earth Norway
Friends of the Earth Scotland
Friends of the Earth USA
Focus Association for Sustainable Development, Slovenia
Haiti Survie – Friends of the Earth Haiti
Hnuti DUHA – Friends of the Earth Czech Republic
Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA)
Ingénieurs Sans Frontières – Systèmes Extractifs et Environnement, France
Jordens Vänner – Friends of the Earth Sweden
Les Amis de la Terre – Friends of the Earth France
Mineral Policy Institute, Australia
MiningWatch Canada
Mouvement Ecologique – Friends of the Earth Luxembourg
Niparajá, Mexico
Norske Lakseelver (Norwegian Salmon Rivers), Norway
Norges Kystfiskarlag (Union for Norwegian Coastal Fisherman), Norway
Oceana
Oceana Chile
Pacific Environment, USA
Pro-Natura, Switzerland
Seas at Risk, Belgium
Sierra Club, USA
SumOfUs, USA
VZW Climaxi – Friends of the Earth Flanders
Young Friends of the Earth Norway
Young Friends of the Earth Europe

To add your organization’s name to the declaration, contact Ellen Moore at emoore@earthworks.org

(Download this declaration as a pdf)

Ditch Ocean Dumping

JPMorgan Chase Needs to Ditch Ocean Dumping

Infographic on tailings dumping