The UK’s Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF) has said mining companies need to improve communication with investors and communities on how they are addressing human rights and environmental concerns after a series of visits to communities affected by mining disasters. LAPFF has released a report detailing visits by Chair Doug McMurdo to communities devastated by the Mariana and Brumadinho tailings dam collapses. The report flagged a host of human rights and environmental concerns that have yet to be addressed in the wake of the disasters, including health issues, cultural rights and severe concerns about water quality and availability. There were also underlying concerns about companies’ failure to engage meaningfully and effectively with all communities affected by Vale, BHP and Anglo American’s mining operations in their areas. McMurdo said: “I knew the visit would be difficult, but I wasn’t prepared for the scale of devastation I saw nearly seven years on from the Mariana collapse and three and a half years on from the Brumadinho collapse. Seeing it with my own eyes was a wake-up call – investors must do more!”
