An Indonesian government review of an accident at the Grasberg copper-gold mine in Irian Jaya, Indonesia, has approved the resumption of mining operations following remedial measures by operator Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold (FCX-N).
An Oct. 9 slope failure in the gigantic open pit killed eight workers and injured another five. The slide — “more like a mudslide than a rock avalanche,” in the words of Freeport president Richard Adkerson, occurred when unconsolidated material at high levels of the pit became water-saturated.
In addition to the deaths and injuries, the slide buried some of the pit equipment.
An accident in 2000, which killed four employees of one of Freeport’s contractors, brought pressure from the Indonesian government to decrease production rates at Grasberg.
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