Grasberg Tailings

Indonesia / Papua / Nabire /
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Mining activity began in the area in 1970, reaching 20,000 tons per day by the 1980s. But discovery of the massive "Grasberg" ore body greatly accelerated the operation in 1989; by 1997 production had skyrocketed to 130,000 tons per day. Tailings dumped into the river upstream are settling out on a long stretch of floodplain downstream near the town of Timika, changing the hydrology of the Ajkwa river system and killing vegetation over a broad area (dark blue to purple swath). Levees have been constructed in an attempt to control flooding and contain the tailings. Deforestation has also occurred over a large area since 1988: intact lowland forests are dark green, and cleared areas are bright green.
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Coordinates:   4°38'8"S   136°57'7"E
This article was last modified 5 years ago