EarthBlog

Equinox Gold’s Western Mesquite Mine in the desert of Southern California is the state’s largest producing gold mine. The company wants to expand their open pit, cyanide heap leach operation. Their first step is to test the quality of the nearby gold deposit at the Rainbow East exploration project.

SUBMIT A COMMENT The project would impact sensitive environments and Tribal cultural resources

The project would build and widen access roads, drill 23 holes, and disturb 2.34 acres on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management in Imperial County. These lands are part of Desert Tortoise Critical Habitat and the Picacho Area of Critical Concern. 

The project is also located within a cultural landscape that the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe seeks permanent protection for. Mineral exploration here needs careful study, public input, tribal consultation, and strong safeguards in order to protect these sensitive desert resources.

This biodiverse desert should not be sacrificed for more gold

In February, I visited the site together with local resident Gail Overton. Gail lives in the desert and cares deeply for the plants and animals who call it home. Together we walked along the proposed access roads and drill sites. Here the desert was full of life. Desert washes braid through the area, providing water to plants and wildlife. The brittlebush and ocotillo were in bloom; we saw burrows that could be used by tortoises or burrowing owls, and several lizards. 

Future mining operations in this area would block this critical source of water runoff from the Chocolate Mountains to the desert floor below. An entire ecosystem of deer, coyote, tortoise, lizards, birds, and native plants should not be sacrificed to chase low-grade gold ore that only serves the profit margin of this Canadian mining outfit.

Gail Overton Trump’s tools could allow Equinox to skip environmental review

Last year, almost 5,000 Earthworks supporters asked the BLM not to skip environmental review. Now they are doing just that, considering approving the project under a Categorical Exclusion, one of the many tools Trump is using at breakneck pace to permit irresponsible mining on public lands. 

The public has a chance to weigh in

Luckily, we still have a chance to weigh in. The project and its reclamation plan are being reviewed by Imperial County under the California Environmental Quality Act. However, Imperial County is considering approving the project using outdated documents from more than 20 years ago. These documents studied and approved a 2002 mine expansion within the project boundaries, but never looked at the impacts of exploration drilling in Rainbow East, which would disturb an entirely new area outside of the mine plan boundaries. 

Submit a comment

Make sure Imperial County doesn’t cut corners on its environmental review. Comment by October 19 to urge the planning commission for a new study.

The post Equinox Gold’s Outdated Environmental Studies Won’t Protect the California Desert appeared first on Earthworks.

By anaïs

With increasing wildfire smoke and deregulation of dangerous industries, our air is becoming ever more toxic. However, we have the tools to mitigate and monitor these threats as we organize for clean, breathable air. This short zine, developed for work in Ohio but applicable across the US, explains where to find real-time information and how to act on it with filters, masks, and respirators.

The post Air Aware 101: Common Threats to Our Air Quality appeared first on Earthworks.

The connection with the ocean is central to the worldview for Indigenous Peoples around the world. For many Indigenous Peoples of the Pacific this profound connection is reflected in creation stories. In those stories, deities, islands, and humans emerged from the depths of the sea. It is the home of ancestors. 

The territory of voyaging Peoples of the Pacific stretches across the whole of the ocean. The territories in the sea are part of a global web of life. And that is being threatened in a race to plunder the ocean floor.

When companies mine on land, most governments require them to study the impact of their mine. It is well-accepted that companies must study and address impacts on human rights, including Indigenous Peoples’ rights, and the environment. The ocean, however, doesn’t have the same safeguards — yet. 

The rules for deep sea mining are still being written

Right now, the International Seabed Authority is writing the rules that most of the globe will follow if it mines the deep ocean. The ISA was formed by a 1994 agreement that put into effect part of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. It governs more than half of the world’s oceans, and 172 countries are members. 

(Side note: The United States is not a member, and the Trump administration has said it will permit companies to mine the deep sea without regard for international law. You can read more on the threat of unilateral mining here.)

Indigenous Peoples’ rights aren’t being respected

There’s a big problem with what’s happening at the ISA now, however: Indigenous Peoples have no formal seat at the table. Their collective rights are not being taken seriously. 

Mining companies want us to think of the ocean as a vast, isolated blank space just because no one lives on the deep ocean floor. But what non-Indigenous people describe as empty, Pacific Peoples revere as the genesis of existence and source of sustenance and livelihoods. The ocean connects and represents the shared heritage and ancestry of all Pacific Peoples.

Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge tells us that a healthy ocean is sacred, integral to all life on the planet, significant, and worth defending. For many Indigenous Peoples, it also represents a key part of how they live and sustain themselves. It is how their ancestors navigated across islands and land masses. It holds sacred and ceremonial sites. And yet, despite this, their voices and rights are being sidelined. 

The ecological data gathered and knowledge systems built over millenia of lived experience of Indigenous Peoples must inform every part of the work of the ISA. This should include any regulations for mining the deep sea, from planning and study to monitoring and economics.

International law and treaties require better

The countries who are members of the ISA must listen to Indigenous Peoples when they write new rules — not just because it’s the right thing to do, and not just because it gives our planet a better chance for a livable future. The requirement is written into treaties and into international law.

Other international bodies already have processes in place to formally recognize and consult with Indigenous Peoples. The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change both have formal ways for Indigenous Peoples to participate in decision-making. The ISA, if guided by Indigenous Peoples, can use these models to develop its own such structures.

Indigenous Peoples’ cultural heritage is at risk

Over the past few years, the ISA has been addressing the issue of “underwater cultural heritage”. This is an issue that shows how Indigenous Peoples’ rights can deepen conversations that might otherwise be sidelined.

Underwater cultural heritage sites are required to be protected. But right now, the policy defines those sites as only encompassing human-made objects — shipwrecks, for example.

Indigenous Peoples recognize sites in the ocean as especially culturally and spiritually important. These spaces aren’t human-made, but they hold stories, traditions, and significance that cannot be replaced. Advocates from Pacific Indigenous Peoples say these sites deserve protection.

The current definition of “underwater cultural heritage” gives more protection to a 100-year-old shipwreck than it gives to a sacred site that took millions of years to form and has been a place used and respected by people for thousands of years. 

“Stonehenge, Pyramids, and the Great Wall, without their stories, are simply a collection of stones. Their meaning comes from the traditions, histories, beliefs, and relationships that have been carried from one generation to the next. The same is true beneath the ocean. Culture is not found in the artifact — it is found in the story the artifact carries.”
Statement by the Maui Nui Makai Network (Hawaiʻi)

But framing these sacred spaces through a narrow lens of “underwater cultural heritage” sets the bar far too low. Instead of debating ambiguous terms, the ISA could use the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a baseline. It’s a framework that would shift the discussions. Instead of limited opportunities for participation, Indigenous Peoples would have their collective rights recognized by the ISA. Those rights strengthen their ability to continue to protect cultural and spiritual relationships with the ocean, for the benefit of all.

Setting the course for our future

The ISA may be writing policies that most people on the planet will never read, but those policies cut right to some of the biggest questions that will determine our future: Whose stories matter? Whose knowledge is respected? Whose history is valued? Whose rights are defended? And how will those answers shape the Earth that future generations inherit?

The post Indigenous Peoples’ Knowledge Is Left Behind in the Rush to Mine the Seafloor appeared first on Earthworks.

In 2025, I sat locked in a room in a private home as military officials camped on the front porch. A surveillance photo of me taken that morning was circulating on WhatsApp around Kawasi Village, where I was staying on Obi Island in Indonesia. I was visiting as a representative of Earthworks, along with colleagues from Indonesian environmental NGO WALHI.

When I heard that surveillance and harassment resulted in WALHI staff and journalists abandoning their attempted reporting trip to that same village this summer, I recognized a pattern.

The North Maluku branch of the Indonesian NGO WALHI has experienced an environment of increasing hostilities and intimidation related to their work to support and advocate with mining-impacted communities on Obi Island. I saw it first hand. Now reporters had seen it too.

Nickel mining transforms a fishing village

The story on Obi Island has global significance. Nickel mining is booming in Indonesia. The country’s annual nickel production in 2015 was 130,000 tons. In 2025, it was 2.6M tons. This island nation is now responsible for more than 60 percent of the world’s nickel production. Much of that nickel goes into batteries, including batteries for electric vehicles. 

In 2010, Obi Island, known for its fishing and spice economy, became the site of a large nickel mining and processing operation owned by Harita Group. Since its opening, the operation has  caused an explosion of environmental and social harms:

• environmental pollution, 
• toxic and carcinogenic chemical leaks that affect drinking water,
• displacement of local residents, 
• health issues, 
• mine waste facilities that are at risk for catastrophic failure, and 
• reports of threats and intimidation and harassment of people speaking out.

Accountability depends on information justice

Kawasi Village residents have called for more transparency around Harita’s operations. WALHI and the Indonesian Society of Environmental Journalists (SIEJ) point out that, “there can be no environmental justice without information justice.”

A transition to cleaner transportation needs to be built with minerals that are sourced responsibly, and operations on Obi Island are raising concerns. Buyers, consumers, human rights advocates, environmentalists, and others are starting to pay attention. 

Communities need to be able to tell their stories without fear, and the media must be able to report those stories to the public. 

Companies and governments around the world use fear and harassment to try to silence communities that are defending their rights in the face of mining operations. But at Earthworks, we know that people who are standing up for their families and their land and water are not easy to silence, and their voices must be heard in order to find lasting solutions.

Journalists cancel visit due to intimidation

Most recently, a group of journalists experienced intimidation and surveillance. Over the course of four days in June and July 2026, WALHI and SEIJ jointly organized a trip for five journalists to report about the situation on Obi Island. 

The journalists who attended were from Konde, which focuses on women’s issues in Indonesia; Mongabay, an international environmental science publication; Project Multatuli, a collective focused on underreported populations and holding power accountable; Bahalo Project; and Tempo, one of the largest and best-known newspapers in Indonesia. 

Obi Island is only reachable by boat, and the surveillance began while the group was on a ferry, en route to the island. Two people began following the group on board the ferry and asking questions about the purpose of their work and trip to Obi Island. 

When the SIEJ and WALHI group arrived on Obi Island, the police chief said that they had entered without alerting local authorities and security officials. Residents of one of the towns on the island, Kawasi Village, had to come and help transport the group to safety. 

A group from Eco Village, a village where Harita has relocated some residents impacted by their operations, also attempted to turn the reporters away at the port.

The journalists were forced to cancel their visit to the area and were unable to continue their reporting work.

Indonesian military surveillance targets Earthworks and WALHI

This is not the first time that civil society groups have faced intimidation and surveillance while visiting Obi Island for work regarding Harita Group’s operations and impacts. 

In April 2025, during a visit with WALHI staff to Kawasi Village, I was surveilled and harassed by military security officials. 

Within 12 hours of arriving on the ferry, my photo was circulating via WhatsApp messages. Military security contacted a colleague to let them know that they had my photo and to ask questions about the purpose and timing of my visit. Plainclothes military officials visited the home where I was staying with a local family. The officers camped out on the front porch for hours while I stayed locked away in my room. 

The harassment continued while in transit leaving Obi Island. Plainclothes military officials turned up on a neighboring island as we switched boats. They began interrogating WALHI colleagues about me and our visit to Kawasi Village. I decided to spend the nearly 24-hour trip that remained inside a small cabin to avoid further harassment by the officials.  

These tactics effectively limited Earthworks and WALHI’s ability to witness mining impacts on the village and surrounding areas and to speak with community members living near Harita’s operations. 

Intimidation pattern raises concerns

Harita Group’s operations on Obi Island are currently undergoing an audit by the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance. IRMA offers independent assessments of whether or not specific industrial mines meet standards for responsible mining. Voluntary standards like IRMA can be a powerful way to improve mining companies’ practices. Everyone involved, including communities and NGO staff, needs to be able to engage in the process without fear.

Both incidents took place around the time when IRMA auditors were expected to be visiting the area. The 2025 incident occurred just days before the onsite audit. Currently, Harita is nearing the end of its optional corrective action period as part of this audit. That means another review of the operations by the audit team will take place in the coming months. 

Earthworks reported these incidents to the audit team, highlighting concerns about residents’ ability to safely participate in the audit without fear of intimidation or retaliation, as well as the pattern of military security restricting access to Kawasi Village, the community most directly affected by Harita’s operations. In its July 2026 update, Harita states that “During and beyond the CAP process, communities, and other stakeholders may raise concerns at any time through our whistleblowing and public grievance channels, which allow anonymous or non-anonymous reporting, with each matter logged, reviewed, and tracked through to resolution.” 

Effective corporate grievance mechanisms like Harita’s require trust that reports will result in action to address the issue and that retaliation will not result — or they require stakeholders to carefully weigh the risks to themselves and others. Now that my experience is part of a pattern, I decided to share this story publicly.

Earthworks and Indonesian NGOs call on officials uphold human rights and transparency

WALHI and SIEJ point out that Law 40 in Indonesia protects freedom of press and freedom from interference  and Law 32 and the Indonesian Constitution protect the right to a healthy environment. Attempts to silence reporting on the impacts from mining operations on Obi Island are not in the spirit of the national laws upholding democratic institutions and good governance. 

Community members, NGO experts, and reporters must be able to speak about the impacts of mining without harassment and fear. Their knowledge and insights are important for buyers, policymakers, and advocates. We need truth, not silence, to build a sustainable future that works for everyone. 

Earthworks joins WALHI AND SIEJ’s call for Harita Group to uphold the principles of democracy, human rights, transparency, and freedom of press.

The post Silencing the Story: Surveillance and Harassment Limit Reporting on Harita’s Nickel Operations in Indonesia appeared first on Earthworks.

Manifestantes pedem justiça climática na Nasdaq

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Em uma decisão descaradamente fora de contexto, a Sigma Lithium foi convidada a tocar o sino de encerramento da Nasdaq pela segunda vez, por ocasião da Semana do Clima de Nova York, em “reconhecimento à sua liderança ambiental e social na industrialização e mineração de minerais críticos”. A cerimônia de toque do sino ocorreu enquanto comunidades indígenas, quilombolas, e afrodescendentes afirmam que a empresa está transformando suas terras em uma zona de sacrifício para a transição energética. As licenças da mina foram suspensas no último ano devido a preocupações com segurança, poluição e violações de direitos.

Nesta semana, diplomatas, funcionários das Nações Unidas, ONGs e comunidades afetadas pelas mudanças climáticas se reúnem na cidade de Nova York com o objetivo de conectar ideias, decisões e parcerias para enfrentar a crise climática e buscar soluções.

As empresas de mineração, cujas operações contribuem com 11% das emissões globais de gases de efeito estufa e poluem o ar, a água e o solo, estão competindo para se posicionar como parte da solução.

O contraste entre os comunicados à imprensa da Sigma Lithium, repletos de autoelogios sobre a Semana do Clima de Nova York, e as vozes dos líderes das comunidades indígenas e tradicionais traz à tona questões urgentes sobre qual liderança leva a soluções duradouras, à medida que enfrentamos a crise urgente das mudanças climáticas. Ativistas planejam protestar contra a participação da Sigma Lithium na cerimônia de toque do sino na tarde desta sexta-feira, nos escritórios da Nasdaq, para exigir que a justiça climática comece pelos direitos dos povos indígenas e pelos direitos humanos.

Comunidades se manifestam contra os impactos da Sigma

Desde 2023, a Sigma Lithium opera uma mina de lítio chamada Grota do Cirilo, no Vale do Jequitinhonha, no estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil.

As comunidades indígenas, quilombolas e afrodescendentes têm sofrido os impactos das operações de mineração. Entre os povos indígenas afetados pela mina estão os Aranã, os Pankararu e os Pataxó. O Vale do Jequitinhonha também possui uma das maiores densidades de comunidades afrodescendentes do Brasil, segundo o governo brasileiro.

Há forte oposição à mina por parte das comunidades indígenas e quilombolas, que não deram seu Consentimento Livre, Prévio e Informado (CLPI) para o projeto, apesar da legislação brasileira exigir o CLPI para ambos os grupos. As comunidades locais afirmam “que a promessa de energia limpa trouxe poeira, barulho incessante e doenças”.

Novas reportagens no Brasil documentaram que famílias nas proximidades da mina têm poeira entrando em suas casas, proveniente do local da mina e de suas pilhas de resíduos, e que as explosões realizadas pela empresa causam danos e rachaduras em suas residências. Esses impactos são sentidos de forma aguda nas comunidades vizinhas, que estão extremamente próximas da mina. Em um caso, os resíduos da mina pairam sobre a escola local.

Uma reportagem publicada nesta semana revelou que as internações de crianças por doenças respiratórias aumentaram 628% e 350% nas cidades mais próximas à mina (Araçuaí e Itinga), valores particularmente superiores aos aumentos regionais (221%), estaduais (157%) e nacionais (102%) registrados no mesmo período.

O “greenwashing” da Sigma não faz sentido

A SIGMA tem feito diversas alegações sobre a sustentabilidade das práticas da empresa e tenta se posicionar como uma solução “verde” para as mudanças climáticas. A empresa afirma que suas operações têm “zero barragens de rejeitos” e adotam uma “estratégia de zero rejeitos,”. Isso não é verdade.

Os rejeitos são os resíduos da mina que sobram após o processamento do lítio. A Earthworks documentou pessoalmente suas instalações de armazenamento de rejeitos em várias ocasiões. A empresa continua a empilhar resíduos de mineração próximo a comunidades e rios, embora afirme que esses resíduos acabam sendo removidos do local. As comunidades continuam arcando com os impactos.

Além disso, nenhuma empresa no mundo realiza atividades de mineração sem produzir resíduos. Um relatório divulgado pela Earthworks este ano afirma categoricamente que não há operações conhecidas em nenhum lugar do mundo que tenham eliminado os rejeitos.

Desafios jurídicos crescentes

Em várias ocasiões, as autoridades brasileiras instauraram processos contra a empresa, o que resultou em multas ou na suspensão das operações.

• Em janeiro de 2026, o Ministério do Trabalho do Brasil fechou as pilhas de rejeitos e resíduos da mina, alegando um risco “grave e iminente” para os trabalhadores e a comunidade local, de acordo com documentos analisados pela Reuters. Um inspetor do trabalho relatou uma “ruptura parcial” de uma das pilhas próxima à escola na pequena cidade de Poço Dantas. A Sigma supostamente continuou a utilizar as pilhas de resíduos e foi multada pelo governo brasileiro. A empresa recebeu permissão para retomar o uso das instalações em fevereiro.

• Em maio, um juiz decidiu a favor de uma ação civil pública movida pelo Ministério Público de Minas Gerais contra a SIGMA, com base em anos de investigações e pesquisas. A ação alegava que as comunidades vizinhas enfrentavam poluição por poeira e ruído, que elas estavam extremamente próximas da infraestrutura de mineração e que as explosões das operações de mineração estavam causando danos às residências. Inicialmente, a Sigma foi condenada a pagar quase US$ 10 milhões em indenização. No entanto, a empresa recorreu da decisão e obteve vitória em instância superior.
• Em julho, a Fundação Estadual do Meio Ambiente (FEAM), órgão regulador ambiental do Brasil, ordenou a suspensão das operações em duas cavas e revogou três licenças ambientais da SIGMA. O órgão emitiu 16 autuações. Uma visita de campo realizada pela agência constatou que uma das pilhas de estéril havia se rompido. A FEAM ordenou que a SIGMA suspendesse as operações. A SIGMA negou algumas das constatações da FEAM, mas não todas, concordou em pagar US$ 540.000 em multas e em assinar um termo de ação corretiva. As operações foram retomadas em agosto.
• Em setembro, um juiz ordenou a suspensão da licença ambiental da Sigma, alegando que uma comunidade quilombola na área de impacto da mina não foi levada em consideração no processo de licenciamento e não deu seu consentimento livre, prévio e informado para o projeto. A SIGMA não suspendeu as operações e continua suas atividades de mineração, alegando que não recebeu uma ordem judicial. No entanto, baseado na decisão do juiz, a FEAM voltou suspender as licenças da empresa e publicou a notificação no diário oficial do estado no dia 24 de setembro.

As acusações contra a Sigma não se limitam aos tribunais. Em outubro de 2025, o Observatório de Mineração publicou uma reportagem exclusiva em que o cofundador da Sigma, Calvyn Gardner, ex-marido da atual CEO Ana Cabral, afirmou que trabalhadores da empresa de mineração relataram para ele “preocupações urgentes” sobre a segurança das operações em Minas Gerais. Ele alegou que a empresa não estava seguindo seu plano de lavra e destacou os riscos associados ao possível desabamento das paredes das cavas da mina.

Uma exigência urgente de justiça climática

Os verdadeiros líderes climáticos defendem os direitos dos povos indígenas, os direitos humanos e os direitos dos trabalhadores. Eles protegem o meio ambiente e garantem um futuro saudável para as comunidades locais. Isso não é possível com a mineração poluente. A Sigma Lithium é um exemplo de como uma empresa pode usar a retórica da sustentabilidade para tentar ocultar os danos que causa. Os líderes indígenas e tradicionais que se manifestam para defender suas comunidades contra os danos são exemplos para todos no movimento climático.

Na sexta-feira, os manifestantes exigirão que a Sigma corrija sua conduta, respeite os direitos dos povos indígenas e das comunidades tradicionais e pare de usar o “greenwashing” para disfarçar suas operações.

The post A mineração suja da Sigma não vai salvar nosso clima appeared first on Earthworks.

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Protesters to Call for Justice at the Nasdaq

In a brazenly out-of-touch move, Sigma Lithium rung the closing Nasdaq bell yesterday during NY Climate week in “recognition of their environmental and social leadership in critical minerals industrialization and mining.” The ceremonial bell-ringing took place as Indigenous and Afro-Descendant communities say the company is turning their lands into a sacrifice zone for the energy transition. The mine has had licenses suspended in the last year due to concerns about safety, pollution, and rights violations.

This week diplomats, United Nations staff, NGOs, and climate-impacted communities descend on New York City with the goal of connecting ideas, decisions and partnerships to address the climate crisis and look for solutions. 

Mining companies, whose operations contribute 11% to global greenhouse gas emissions and pollute the air, water and soil, are vying to position themselves as part of the solution.

The contrast between Sigma Lithium’s self-congratulatory NYC Climate Week press release and the voices of Indigenous and traditional community leaders bring to light urgent questions about whose leadership leads to lasting solutions as we face the urgent crisis of climate change.

Activists plan to protest Sigma Lithium’s participation in the bell ringing ceremony on Friday afternoon at the Nasdaq offices to demand that climate justice start with Indigenous Peoples’ rights and human rights.

READ OUR PRESS RELEASE

Communities Speak Out Against Sigma’s Impacts

Sigma Lithium has operated a lithium mine, called the Grota do Cirilo, in the Jequitinhonha Valley in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil since 2023. 

Indigenous and Afro-Descendent communities have felt the impacts of the mining operations. The Indigenous people impacted by the mine include the Aranã, Pankararu, and Pataxó  People. The Jequitinhonha Valley also has one of the largest densities of Afro-descendent communities in Brazil, according to the Brazilian government. 

There is strong opposition to the mine from Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities who have not given their Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for the project, despite Brazilian regulation requiring FPIC for both groups of people. Local communities say “that the promise of clean energy has brought dust, incessant noise, and illness.” 

New reporting in Brazil has documented households around the mine where dust blows into their homes from the mine site and its waste piles, and where the blasting from the company damages and cracks to their in houses. These impacts are felt acutely in neighboring communities, which are extremely close to the mine. In one case, the mine waste looms over the local school.

Reporting published this week found that infant hospitalizations for respiratory illness increased 628% and 350% in the towns closest to the mine (Araçuaí and Itinga), which were notably higher than the regional (221%), state (157%) and national (102%) increases for the same time period. 

Sigma’s Greenwashing Doesn’t Add Up

SIGMA has made many claims about the sustainability of the company’s practices and tries to position itself as a “green” solution to climate change. They say their operations have “Zero tailing dams” and use a “Zero Tailings strategy,” This is not true. 

Tailings are the mine’s waste that is left over after processing for lithium.  Earthworks has documented their tailings storage facilities in person on multiple occasions. The company continues to pile mine waste next to communities and rivers, even though it claims that waste will eventually be sent off site. Communities are still left with the impacts. 

Beyond that, no company in the world mines without producing waste. A report released by Earthworks this year categorically states that there are no known operations anywhere in the world that have eliminated tailings. 

Mounting Legal Challenges

On multiple occasions, the Brazilian authorities have brought charges against the company that have resulted in fines or the suspension of operations.

• In January 2026, Brazil’s Labor Ministry shut down the mine’s tailings and waste piles, citing a “grave and imminent” risk to workers and the local community, according to documents seen by Reuters. A labor inspector reported a “partial rupture” of one of the piles near the school in the small town of Poço Dantas. Sigma allegedly continued to use the waste piles and was fined by the Brazilian government. The company was given permission to resume use of the facilities again in February. 

• In May a judge found in favor of a public civil lawsuit brought by the Public Prosecutor’s office in Minas Gerais against SIGMA based on years of investigations and research. The suit alleged surrounding communities faced dust and noise pollution, that communities were extremely close to mining infrastructure and that blasting from mining operations were damaging homes. Sigma was initially ordered to pay almost $10M USD in compensation. However they appealed the judgement and won in a higher court. 

• In July, the Fundação Estadual do Meio Ambiente [State Environmental Foundation] (FEAM), Brazil’s environmental regulatory agency, ordered the suspension of operations in two mine pits and revoked three of SIGMA’s environmental licenses. The agency issued 16 citations. A field visit by the agency found that one of the waste rock piles had failed. The FEAM ordered Sigma stop operations. Sigma denied some of FEAM’s findings, but not all, agreed to pay US$540,000 in fines and to sign a corrective action agreement. Operations resumed in August. 

• In September, a judge ordered the suspension of Sigma’s environmental license stating an Afro-Descendant community in the area of impact of the mine was not considered in the permitting and did not give its Free, Prior and Informed consent for the project. SIGMA has not suspended operations and continues its mining activities, stating they haven’t received a court order. However, based on the judge’s ruling, the FEAM again suspended the company’s licenses and published the notification state register on September 24th. 

The allegations against Sigma don’t stop at the courts. In October of 2025, the Observatorio de Mineracao published an exclusive exposé where Sigma co-founder Calvyn Gardner, the ex-husband of the current CEO Ana Cabral, said employees of the mining company approached him and reported “urgent concerns” about the safety of operations in Minas Gerais. He claimed the company was not following its mining plan and highlighted risks associated with the possible collapse of pit walls. 

An Urgent Need for Climate Justice

Real climate leaders stand up for Indigenous Peoples’ rights, human rights and workers’ rights. They safeguard the environment and ensure a healthy future for local communities. This cannot happen with dirty mining. Sigma Lithium is an example of how a corporation can use the language of sustainability to attempt to hide the damage it does. Indigenous and traditional leaders who are speaking up to defend their communities from harm are examples for everyone in the climate movement. 

On Friday, protesters will call on Sigma to clean up its act, respect the rights of Indigenous peoples and traditional communities, and stop greenwashing their operations. 

The post Sigma’s Dirty Mining Won’t Save Our Climate appeared first on Earthworks.