Olympic medal mining firm Rio Tinto faces air pollution lawsuit in US
Doctors, environmentalists and concerned citizens are suing the London-based mining company Rio Tinto. They allege the £60bn company violated clean air laws at the US mine that produced 99% of the metals used in the 4,700 Olympic and Paralympic medals.
The lawsuit filed at Utah district court against Rio subsidiary Kennecott claims the Bingham Canyon mine, near Salt Lake City, has breached air pollution laws for five years causing effects doctors called "similar to smoking 20 cigarettes a day".
Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment (UPHE), one of the groups of claimants, said dust from the mine can be "absorbed into the bloodstream, causing respiratory system damage, adverse pulmonary [heart and lungs] effects and potentially even premature death".
The claimants, which also include Utah Moms for Clean Air and environmental group Wildearth Guardians, say the mine has been "emitting particle matter at levels in excess of those allowed by the US Clean Air Act" for at least five years. Rio Tinto denies the claims.