Gold Mining Firm Says Discharges Harmless

A U.S. mining company has admitted that it released tons of mercury into the air and water over a period of years at one of its Indonesian gold mines but denied that the releases had any health effects for people.

Indonesian police have accused Newmont Mining Corp.’s local subsidiary, Newmont Minahasa Raya, of dumping heavy metals into Buyat Bay, causing residents to develop skin diseases and tumors.

In a fax, the company said that at no time “did any test or monitoring data show that there were health impacts to employees or the community as a result of operations.”