{"id":3641,"date":"2026-04-13T05:51:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T05:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/?p=3641"},"modified":"2026-04-15T23:12:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T23:12:00","slug":"repeated-failures-expose-gaps-in-indonesias-nickel-waste-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/?p=3641","title":{"rendered":"Repeated failures expose gaps in Indonesia\u2019s nickel waste management"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-317395\">\n<div class=\"bulletpoints-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"bulletpoints\">\n<ul>\n<li><em>A deadly 2026 landslide in Indonesia\u2019s Morowali nickel hub highlights risks in \u201cdry stack\u201d waste systems, which can still liquefy under poor conditions.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Indonesia\u2019s booming nickel industry generates massive volumes of toxic waste, with dry stack or \u201cfiltered\u201d tailings promoted as safer than the typical wet sludge, but often poorly implemented.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Experts cite design flaws, weak oversight, and challenging local conditions, including rainfall and seism activity, as key factors behind repeated failures.<\/em><\/li>\n<li><em>Watchdogs are calling for a halt to new tailings facilities and stronger safeguards, warning of ongoing risks to workers, communities and ecosystems.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><button class=\"content-expander\"><span>See All Key Ideas<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>JAKARTA \u2014 In February 2026, videos circulating on social media showed a mass of mining waste rushing downslope like thick mud, engulfing excavators and bulldozers within seconds as operators scrambled to escape.<\/p>\n<p>That <a href=\"https:\/\/earthworks.org\/blog\/another-nickel-mine-waste-landslide-leads-to-a-death-in-indonesia\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">landslide of mining waste<\/a>, or tailings as it\u2019s known in the industry, occurred on Feb. 18 at a storage area in Morowali industrial area in Indonesia\u2019s Central Sulawesi province, a key hub of the country\u2019s nickel industry. The facility was operated by PT QMB, a tenant of the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP), and the incident left an excavator operator dead.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tragedi Morowali: Tanah Amblas di IMIP, 1 Pekerja Tewas Tertimbun Longsor, Alat Berat Hancur\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hCfMnlWmEbo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Steven Emerman, a hydrogeologist and mining waste expert who reviewed the videos, concluded that they showed the phenomenon of liquefaction \u2014 a failure in which partially dried mining waste suddenly behaves like a liquid.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe video clearly shows liquefaction of a filtered tailings stack,\u201d he told Mongabay.<\/p>\n<p>Filtered, or \u201cdry stack\u201d tailings are widely promoted as a safer alternative for storing mining waste than the wet sludge held behind conventional tailings dams. The material is filtered to remove its water content and stacked on land as a damp, soil-like mass.<\/p>\n<p>But <a href=\"https:\/\/earthworks.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/filtered_tailings_in_indonesia.pdf\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">a new report<\/a> by U.S.-based environmental NGO Earthworks that Emerman contributed to raises concerns about how the technology is being applied in Indonesia. It says some facilities are being built \u201ctaller and contain more waste than they can safely hold,\u201d and cites problems with design, drainage and quality control.<\/p>\n<p>These risks are compounded by the rapid expansion of Indonesia\u2019s nickel industry, raising concerns about the risk of further failures, including incidents like the February 2026 landslide.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTragically, in the time that it has taken to complete and publish this research, tailings facilities have failed at the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park, and workers have lost their lives,\u201d said Ellen Moore, Earthworks\u2019 mining program director.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_298448\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Flood in the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) on March 17, 2025. Image courtesy of Walhi Central Sulawesi.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>Toxic challenges<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Indonesia is the world\u2019s biggest producer of nickel, and its output has surged in recent years, driven by global demand for electric vehicle batteries. The country\u2019s annual nickel production rose from 130,000 metric tons in 2015 to 2.2 million metric tons in 2024, taking the country\u2019s share of global supply from 5.7% to 59.5% in just a decade.<\/p>\n<p>Much of that growth has come thanks to the process of high-pressure acid leaching (HPAL) to extract nickel from low-grade ore by using high pressure, heat and sulfuric acid.<\/p>\n<p>But HPAL generates vast amounts of waste. For every ton of nickel produced, about 133 tons of tailings are left behind \u2014 material that\u2019s often highly acidic, potentially toxic, and difficult to manage.<\/p>\n<p>Richard Labiro, director of the Indonesian NGO Yayasan Tanah Merdeka, described the scale of the problem as overwhelming.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe risks created by the huge and growing amount of toxic waste are borne by workers, local communities and the environment,\u201d he said, adding that over 40 workers have died in workplace accidents at one industrial park since 2015. He did not identify which industrial park.<\/p>\n<p>To manage this waste, operators have increasingly turned to filtered tailings facilities. In theory, removing the water from the tailings reduces the risk of catastrophic dam collapse.<\/p>\n<p>However, the resulting dry stack isn\u2019t actually dry. It remains damp and must be carefully managed to stay stable.<\/p>\n<p>Emerman said water content in Indonesian tailings can reach up to 35%, far higher than the roughly 15% typical of filtered tailings elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p>Maintaining the right balance is critical: too much water and the material can lose strength , too little and it cannot be compacted properly.<\/p>\n<p>Emerman said this imbalance likely contributed to the February 2026 collapse.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[T]his liquefaction probably results from lack of quality control on the water content of the tailings, inadequate compaction of the filtered tailings stack, and inadequate drainage infrastructure within the filtered tailings stack,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>He added the technology itself isn\u2019t inherently flawed. When properly designed and managed, filtered tailings can reduce the likelihood of failure, and global data suggest relatively few reported failures. Out of the 74 filtered tailings storage facilities listed in the <a href=\"https:\/\/tailing.grida.no\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Global Tailings Portal<\/a>, only one facility, at the Pinos Altos mine in Mexico, has been reported as unstable, Emerman said.<\/p>\n<p>He cited <a href=\"https:\/\/www.academia.edu\/108458532\/Tailings_Dam_Management_for_the_Twenty_First_Century_What_Mining_Companies_Need_to_Know_and_Do_to_Thrive_in_Our_Complex_World?auto=download\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">a 2020 book<\/a> by mining risk experts Franco Oboni and Cesar Oboni, who wrote that dewatered tailings can lower failure probability \u201ctowards the bottom of the historical range,\u201d provided the system is properly implemented.<\/p>\n<p>However, Emerman said the perception of safety can create complacency. The challenge, he said, is that filtered tailings remain a relatively new approach, with limited guidance on how to apply them under complex conditions.<\/p>\n<p>Several failures have been reported in recent years. In December 2024, a filtered tailings stack <a href=\"https:\/\/eos.org\/thelandslideblog\/turmalina-mine-1\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">collapsed<\/a> at the Turmalina gold mine in Brazil, burying part of the site and prompting the evacuation of 134 people.<\/p>\n<p>But that failure differed from the Indonesian case. At Turmalina, the material moved as a solid mass rather than liquefying, suggesting it had been properly compacted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf the filtered tailings have been properly compacted, they could still fail by solid slumping, but they should not undergo liquefaction,\u201d Emerman said.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mina em Minas Gerais \u00e9 evacuada ap\u00f3s desmoronamento de pilha de rejeitos; v\u00eddeos flagram momento\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/GetyL6XytmU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><strong>\u2018Dry\u2019 but unstable<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Indonesia presents particularly difficult conditions for this type of waste management.<\/p>\n<p>High rainfall can re-saturate tailings and erode storage piles.<\/p>\n<p>The country is also seismically active: at least 435 shallow earthquakes <a href=\"https:\/\/journal.unhas.ac.id\/index.php\/geocelebes\/article\/view\/8919\/4993\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">were recorded<\/a> in Central Sulawesi \u2014 where many nickel processing hubs are located \u2014 between 1961 and 2019.<\/p>\n<p>Much of this activity is associated with the Matano Fault system, an active network of six segments capable of generating earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from about 6.6 to 7.2.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/journal.unhas.ac.id\/index.php\/geocelebes\/article\/view\/8919\/4993\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">A study<\/a> by Hasanuddin University suggests that none of these segments has yet released its maximum estimated seismic energy, indicating the potential for larger events over long timescales.<\/p>\n<p>In areas with soft geological structures, including regions around tectonic lakes, such shallow earthquakes can amplify ground shaking and increase the risk of damage to infrastructure. Steep terrain and weak volcanic soils can further undermine stability.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, the report points to problems with how facilities are being built and managed, including inconsistent compaction, incomplete drainage systems, and limited monitoring.<\/p>\n<p>These factors, combined with weak regulation and enforcement, have made implementation of filtered tailings challenging in Indonesia.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy thesis is that this combination of HPAL and filtered tailings is a disruptive technology, and that has been and is leading to even more catastrophic failure. It\u2019s a disruptive technology that is not working,\u201d Emerman said, referring to its current implementation in Indonesia.<\/p>\n<p>He added, however, that the issue lies in how the technology is applied, rather than the concept itself.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_298447\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-298447\" src=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776294718_449_Repeated-failures-expose-gaps-in-Indonesias-nickel-waste-management.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776294718_449_Repeated-failures-expose-gaps-in-Indonesias-nickel-waste-management.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/05\/01002951\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-04-07-at-10.22.00-350x233.jpeg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A google earth image of the tailings management facility in the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) in Sulawesi.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>A series of failures<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>The February 2026 incident wasn\u2019t an isolated case.<\/p>\n<p>At least two landslides were reported at tailings facilities in the Morowali industrial park in March 2025. One of them, <a href=\"https:\/\/news.mongabay.com\/2025\/05\/landslide-deaths-again-highlight-safety-failures-in-indonesias-nickel-industry\/\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\">on March 22<\/a>, killed three workers.<\/p>\n<p>The operator, QMB, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.business-humanrights.org\/en\/latest-news\/pt-qmb-new-energy-materials-response-to-flooding-landslide-incident-at-tailing-storage-facility-located-in-indonesia\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">attributed<\/a> the incidents to extreme rainfall, describing them as a \u201conce-in-50-years\u201d event beyond human control.<\/p>\n<p>Emerman rejected that explanation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat actually doesn\u2019t make any sense,\u201d he said. \u201cHeavy rainfall can never be the cause of failure of an engineering facility that\u2019s supposed to be designed to withstand the expected rainfall.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He said such facilities should be designed to withstand severe weather. He also noted that a \u201c50-year\u201d storm, often cited in engineering, has about a 2% chance of occurring in any given year and is not particularly rare.<\/p>\n<p>For infrastructure where failure can result in loss of life, he said, much higher safety standards are needed.<\/p>\n<p>In the case of filtered tailings storage facilities, they should be designed for a 10,000-year rainfall event, or one with a very low annual probability, Emerman said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe failure is a failure of design,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Emerman also noted that the industrial park later <a href=\"https:\/\/papua.betahita.id\/news\/detail\/11088\/penghargaan-proper-biru-untuk-pt-imip-cs-dipertanyakan.html?v=1747823237\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">received an environmental award<\/a> from the Indonesian government.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_317397\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-317397\" src=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Repeated-failures-expose-gaps-in-Indonesias-nickel-waste-management.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Repeated-failures-expose-gaps-in-Indonesias-nickel-waste-management.png 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/13034956\/Tailings_Collapse_FiguresV2-350x233.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Clockwise: (1) Tailings released from the collapsed filtered tailings storage facility of PT Huayue Nickel Cobalt (HNC) on March 16, 2025, flow down the Bahodopi River. (2) Liquefied tailings breach the facility, as seen in a still from a video taken by a mineworker. (3) Google Earth imagery from January 3, 2025, reveals an earlier landslide from the same facility.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>Disaster risks beyond Sulawesi<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Concerns are not limited to Morowali.<\/p>\n<p>The Earthworks report highlights similar risks at other major nickel hubs in Indonesia, including IWIP at Weda Bay on Halmahera Island and the Harita Nickel complex on Obi Island, both in North Maluku province.<\/p>\n<p>Analysis cited in the report suggests that some facilities are larger and store more waste than comparable operations in other parts of the world with similar rainfall, raising questions about whether the technology is being applied beyond tested limits.<\/p>\n<p>A 2022 technical review by consulting firm SRK of a tailings facility at the Harita site warned of \u201cuncontrolled risk\u201d of failure, citing a lack of quality control, incomplete drainage systems, and insufficient monitoring.<\/p>\n<p>Despite these concerns, the facility has continued to expand, according to the Earthworks report. In the event of a collapse, the report warns, tailings could flow into nearby waterways and reach the Molucca Sea, threatening workers and residents of the coastal village of Kawasi.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_317399\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-317399\" src=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Repeated-failures-expose-gaps-in-Indonesias-nickel-waste-management.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Repeated-failures-expose-gaps-in-Indonesias-nickel-waste-management.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/13035651\/Laut-kawasi-1200x800-1-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/13035651\/Laut-kawasi-1200x800-1-610x407.jpg 610w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/13035651\/Laut-kawasi-1200x800-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The sea of Kawasi village found to be contaminated with nickel tailings. Image courtesy of Walhi.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>Signs of contamination<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Even without major failures, there are concerns <a href=\"https:\/\/thegeckoproject.org\/articles\/clean-cars-poisoned-water\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">about ongoing pollution<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>In 2022, <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2022\/feb\/19\/we-are-afraid-erin-brockovich-pollutant-linked-to-global-electric-car-boom\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">The Guardian<\/a><\/em> reported that drinking water in Kawasi contained elevated levels of hexavalent chromium, or chromium-6, a toxic and carcinogenic chemical that came to public attention thanks to the work of U.S. activist\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ewg.org\/research\/erin-brockovich-carcinogen-tap-water-more-200-million-americans\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Erin Brockovich<\/a>. Exposure to chromium-6 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.osha.gov\/hexavalent-chromium\/health-effects#:~:text=Adverse%20health%20effects,covered%20with%20fluid.\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">has been linked<\/a> to liver and kidney damage, respiratory illness, skin problems, and increased cancer risk.<\/p>\n<p>Local groups say health impacts are already visible on Obi.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe most common illness on Obi Island now is respiratory problem, especially for children and babies, with 1,500 cases now,\u201d said Astuti N. Kilwouw, who heads the North Maluku chapter of Walhi, Indonesia\u2019s biggest environmental NGO.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.occrp.org\/en\/investigation\/major-nickel-supplier-harita-knew-about-water-contamination-at-indonesian-operation-for-a-decade\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">Earlier reporting<\/a> by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and partners found that the Harita Group had been aware for years of contamination linked to its operations.<\/p>\n<p>The findings underscore concerns about long-term health risks in communities near nickel processing sites.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_317398\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-317398\" src=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776294719_440_Repeated-failures-expose-gaps-in-Indonesias-nickel-waste-management.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776294719_440_Repeated-failures-expose-gaps-in-Indonesias-nickel-waste-management.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/13035502\/Cemaran-tambang-di-kawasi-foto-Walhi-1200x800-1-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/13035502\/Cemaran-tambang-di-kawasi-foto-Walhi-1200x800-1-610x407.jpg 610w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2026\/04\/13035502\/Cemaran-tambang-di-kawasi-foto-Walhi-1200x800-1.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Contaminated water in Kawasi village. Image courtesy of Walhi.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>Limited responses from industry<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Mongabay <a href=\"https:\/\/mongabay.co.id\/2026\/04\/08\/risiko-limbah-beracun-dari-smelter-nikel-indonesia\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">contacted<\/a> several major nickel operators, including IMIP, IWIP and Harita Nickel, but didn\u2019t receive any substantive responses by the time of publication. Company representatives said they were still coordinating internally or awaiting management approval.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/earthworks.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Filtered-Tailings-in-Indonesia-Right-to-Reply-Letters.pdf\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">In response to the Earthworks report<\/a>, several manufacturers of electric vehicles acknowledged risks in Indonesia\u2019s nickel supply chain but said they don\u2019t source nickel directly from producers there. Companies including BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo said they rely on third-party suppliers to meet environmental and human rights standards and conduct due diligence to monitor compliance.<\/p>\n<p>Chinese battery material producer Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, a major investor in the IMIP, IWIP and Harita Nickel industrial estates, said it follows international standards and has systems in place to manage tailings safely, including layered compaction, drainage controls and environmental monitoring.<\/p>\n<p>Many of the other companies named in the report didn\u2019t respond to requests for comment.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_298449\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-298449\" src=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776294719_400_Repeated-failures-expose-gaps-in-Indonesias-nickel-waste-management.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776294719_400_Repeated-failures-expose-gaps-in-Indonesias-nickel-waste-management.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/05\/01003347\/n7sdf534xc9ncuh-1200x800.jpeg 1200w, https:\/\/imgs.mongabay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2025\/05\/01003347\/n7sdf534xc9ncuh-350x233.jpeg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Search and Rescue team during an operation to search for missing victims in the landslide that buried four excavator operators under toxic mine waste in the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP). Image courtesy of IMIP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3><strong>Calls for reform<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Earthworks is calling for a moratorium on adding new waste to filtered tailings facilities and on approving the construction of new facilities until stronger safeguards are in place.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo ensure the safety of mineworkers and local communities, we need a hard pause on production,\u201d Moore said. \u201cNo new waste should go into these mine waste facilities until companies and the government can guarantee the safety of communities and the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The group also called for independent safety audits and stronger regulations aligned with <a href=\"https:\/\/earthworks.org\/resources\/safety-first\/\" data-wpel-link=\"external\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external\">international standards<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Emerman said operators should proceed more cautiously, expanding facilities incrementally while improving design and monitoring.<\/p>\n<p>Earthworks also urged global buyers, including automakers, to conduct stricter due diligence to ensure their supply chains aren\u2019t linked to environmental harm or human rights abuses.<\/p>\n<p>Without significant changes, the risks will continue, said Jan Morrill, an international mining campaigner at Earthworks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe believe that there needs to be significant and urgent changes made to ensure that these catastrophes and harms that we are seeing do not continue in the future,\u201d she said, \u201cand that communities and ecosystems don\u2019t pay the price of the green energy expansion and the nickel buildout.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>Banner image: Heavy machinery is buried by a landslide at a mine waste storage facility at Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park, February 2026. Photo by a worker at IMIP.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><b>FEEDBACK: Use\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/form.jotform.com\/72624901146150\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"external noopener noreferrer\" data-wpel-link=\"external\">this form<\/a>\u00a0to send a message to the author of this post. If you want to post a public comment, you can do that at the bottom of the page.<\/b><\/p>\n<div id=\"single-article-footer\">\n<div class=\"container in-column about-editor-translator gap--40 pv--80\">\n<div class=\"container grid--3 repeat gap--40\">\n<div class=\"in-row gap--16\">\n<div class=\"author-avatar\">\n                    <img alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776294719_245_Repeated-failures-expose-gaps-in-Indonesias-nickel-waste-management.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/3a4b50c733437eef61e36a4c4e10b4ea73fc3c73f36cc9778e62e20895a75731?s=64&#038;d=identicon&#038;r=g 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-32 photo\" height=\"32\" width=\"32\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\/>        <\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<p>                            <span class=\"article-comments\"><a href=\"\" data-wpel-link=\"internal\"\/><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A deadly 2026 landslide in Indonesia\u2019s Morowali nickel hub highlights risks in \u201cdry stack\u201d waste systems, which can still liquefy under poor conditions. Indonesia\u2019s booming nickel industry generates massive volumes of toxic waste, with dry stack or \u201cfiltered\u201d tailings promoted as safer than the typical wet sludge, but often poorly implemented. Experts cite design flaws, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3642,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[82],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3641","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nature-biodiversity"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3641","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3641"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3641\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3643,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3641\/revisions\/3643"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatevdo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}