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23 August, 2005ICEM News Release No. 34/1999
Rio Tinto, the world's biggest mining corporation, today came under growing pressure to release occupational health records on workers at its former Capper Pass smelter in England.
"Those records are vital in investigating the cancers and other industrial diseases suffered by the workers," legislator Kevin McNamara said in a statement issued from Britain's House of Commons this evening.
The workers' health records have been repeatedly requested by British lawyer David Russell, who is investigating allegations of dangerous pollution in and around the Capper Pass plant. Russell has the written permission of the workers concerned, or their widows, to examine the records.
In correspondence with Russell, Rio Tinto has conceded that it holds the health records at its London headquarters. However, it says that the records are the property of the site's current owners and cannot be released without their permission.
Capper Pass & Son Limited, which became a member of the Rio Tinto group in 1967, ceased smelting in 1991. In 1995, it was sold to Envirogen Limited, which last year changed Capper Pass's name to Melton Land Limited.
In its letters to Russell, Rio Tinto has also denied any legal responsibility for what went on at Capper Pass.
Russell has not yet released the full report of his investigations - because, amongst other reasons, he would like to analyse the occupational health records first. The period covered by the records would probably be long enough to reveal any latent patterns of cancer and other serious diseases.
However, in a pre-publication summary of his findings, Russell does state that "the UK government monitored repeated breaches by Capper Pass, including the dumping of arsenic, cadmium, mercury etc. into the River Humber." Although the repeatedly monitored discharges reached "dumping levels", Russell says, "Capper was not prosecuted."
The pre-publication summary also states: "The Capper Decommissioning Reports were obtained and established that the workers were variously exposed to radioactive substances, to include polonium-210. There was regular exposure to lead, arsenic, cadmium. Heavy metal exposure was extensive." Russell says his full report "will contain many case studies, particularly in respect of cancers suffered by Capper Pass employees and the leukaemia cluster (as well as high incidence of cancers) suffered by children."
Earlier this week, Kevin McNamara tabled a motion in the House of Commons, calling on Rio Tinto's directors to release the records.
A previous Commons motion tabled on 11 May called for a full public enquiry into Capper Pass. It has so far been signed by 31 British legislators.
The allegations surrounding the smelter are "an extremely serious matter which must be fully investigated," McNamara insisted this evening. He was "aware of the great concern of the former workers of Capper Pass and their families" and he wanted "no stone left unturned in the investigation."
"I understand," McNamara added, "that at Rio Tinto's AGM last month, its Chairman, Robert Wilson, stated that their policy was one of 'transparency' together with accountability in respect of all environmental, health and safety matters."
McNamara concluded that "there can be no excuse for obstructing or delaying such an important investigation."
"Those records are vital in investigating the cancers and other industrial diseases suffered by the workers," legislator Kevin McNamara said in a statement issued from Britain's House of Commons this evening.
The workers' health records have been repeatedly requested by British lawyer David Russell, who is investigating allegations of dangerous pollution in and around the Capper Pass plant. Russell has the written permission of the workers concerned, or their widows, to examine the records.
In correspondence with Russell, Rio Tinto has conceded that it holds the health records at its London headquarters. However, it says that the records are the property of the site's current owners and cannot be released without their permission.
Capper Pass & Son Limited, which became a member of the Rio Tinto group in 1967, ceased smelting in 1991. In 1995, it was sold to Envirogen Limited, which last year changed Capper Pass's name to Melton Land Limited.
In its letters to Russell, Rio Tinto has also denied any legal responsibility for what went on at Capper Pass.
Russell has not yet released the full report of his investigations - because, amongst other reasons, he would like to analyse the occupational health records first. The period covered by the records would probably be long enough to reveal any latent patterns of cancer and other serious diseases.
However, in a pre-publication summary of his findings, Russell does state that "the UK government monitored repeated breaches by Capper Pass, including the dumping of arsenic, cadmium, mercury etc. into the River Humber." Although the repeatedly monitored discharges reached "dumping levels", Russell says, "Capper was not prosecuted."
The pre-publication summary also states: "The Capper Decommissioning Reports were obtained and established that the workers were variously exposed to radioactive substances, to include polonium-210. There was regular exposure to lead, arsenic, cadmium. Heavy metal exposure was extensive." Russell says his full report "will contain many case studies, particularly in respect of cancers suffered by Capper Pass employees and the leukaemia cluster (as well as high incidence of cancers) suffered by children."
Earlier this week, Kevin McNamara tabled a motion in the House of Commons, calling on Rio Tinto's directors to release the records.
A previous Commons motion tabled on 11 May called for a full public enquiry into Capper Pass. It has so far been signed by 31 British legislators.
The allegations surrounding the smelter are "an extremely serious matter which must be fully investigated," McNamara insisted this evening. He was "aware of the great concern of the former workers of Capper Pass and their families" and he wanted "no stone left unturned in the investigation."
"I understand," McNamara added, "that at Rio Tinto's AGM last month, its Chairman, Robert Wilson, stated that their policy was one of 'transparency' together with accountability in respect of all environmental, health and safety matters."
McNamara concluded that "there can be no excuse for obstructing or delaying such an important investigation."