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The document discusses the Ok Tedi copper mine case study and identifies various ethical issues. It analyzes the systemic, corporate, and individual ethical problems, including the environmental destruction caused by mining waste and the economic dependence of local communities on the mine. Utilitarianism, justice, and rights-based frameworks are used to evaluate the case. The document concludes that both BHP, as the mine operator, and the PNG government are responsible for the environmental and social impacts as they allowed waste to flow directly into rivers without proper storage facilities. The best option would have been to temporarily or permanently close the mine.
The document discusses the Ok Tedi copper mine case study and identifies various ethical issues. It analyzes the systemic, corporate, and individual ethical problems, including the environmental destruction caused by mining waste and the economic dependence of local communities on the mine. Utilitarianism, justice, and rights-based frameworks are used to evaluate the case. The document concludes that both BHP, as the mine operator, and the PNG government are responsible for the environmental and social impacts as they allowed waste to flow directly into rivers without proper storage facilities. The best option would have been to temporarily or permanently close the mine.
The document discusses the Ok Tedi copper mine case study and identifies various ethical issues. It analyzes the systemic, corporate, and individual ethical problems, including the environmental destruction caused by mining waste and the economic dependence of local communities on the mine. Utilitarianism, justice, and rights-based frameworks are used to evaluate the case. The document concludes that both BHP, as the mine operator, and the PNG government are responsible for the environmental and social impacts as they allowed waste to flow directly into rivers without proper storage facilities. The best option would have been to temporarily or permanently close the mine.
1. The systemic, corporate and individual ethical issues are as follows:
SYSTEMIC Considering the economic system and environmental system, because the ongoing buildup of wastes was destroying the ecology of the tropical rain forests and wetlands through which the rivers flowed and had already devastated 120 riverside villages, whose 50,000 inhabitants originally had depended on the rivers for fishing and farming. The people are now economically dependent on the mine. In addition there is also political- legal system that is being considered, The inevitable pressure from IMF and World Bank that made the Government wanted to prove itself they could manage their own country. CORPORATE Since the very first even before BHP scheduled to open, they had agreed to build and have a large storage facility. They did try to build several times, but a large landslide kept destroying the foundation of the storage dam during the construction. They told the government that the area where the storage facility was to be built was prone to landslides, frequent earthquakes and huge quantities of rainfall. Which then released a license agreed by the government for BHP to defer construction of a permanent waste storage facility. The license was renewed and was never revoked. All water, rock and tailing produced by the mining operation were now flowing directly into Ok Tedi River and downstream into the Fly River. INDIVIDUAL Paul Anderson, the CEO of BHP, was clearly aware of the problem caused by the wastes. But he keeps being uncertain and anxious to resolve the issue but the company had not yet decided what it would do. The PNG Government is very reluctant to close the mine because the mine provides foreign exchange, employment and promotes regional development. For residents in Ok Tedi, they didnt want the mine to shut down because their rivers have been populated and they had no option but to be dependent on the mine. 2. The reasons under 3 concepts are: UTILITARIANISM The benefits of the mine to operate are that it provides foreign exchange, employment and promotes regional development. However, weighing the cost and the benefits, the costs and the negative impacts are too much. The environmental impacts of the Ok Tedi mine are very visible and very controversial; starts from the sedimentation, impact on vegetation, toxicity and water quality to decrease in fish stocks. Which those then lead to bring negative socio-economic impacts to the people in Ok Tedi. JUSTICE Distributive Justice: The distribution of benefit and burden is not equal. The landowners have to bear the ecology impact that pollutes the area and will continue to get worse overtime. Retributive Justice: The BHP had to pay million dollars to the landowners which increased their expense. Compensatory Justice: The Landowners received $500 million dollars in total. RIGHT People in Ok Tedi dont have rights to any other option to work for other than the mine. Because they couldnt no longer do fish or farm to provide themselves. One more thing, the most basic one, they do have the right to live in a clean environment that wouldnt threathen their health. 3. BHP has responsible because they are the one who operated the mines and caused all the pollution or better said disasters to happen. They are the one who literally decide what can be done and how to resolve the problem by of course considering the people and the environment in Ok Tedi, as well as the continuation of their business. But on the other hand, government took the biggest part of the responsibility, because government was the one who let these happen in the first place by letting BHP to start operating and open even without a large waste storage facility and even agreed to make a license so that BHP was permitted to defer construction of a permanent waste storage facility. 4. Just like the majority owner of BHP who would have liked to close the mine early after endorsing a statement that the company would refrain from the practice of riverine disposal in future project, he best option would be better to either temporarily or permanently close the mine.