Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
plant” (R. Six, personal communication, August 5, 2008). The company
also made it clear that since June 2007, they have dramatically reduced
their use of the dump, and are in the process of phasing out the use of
Tavua Plant Hire as their waste contractor. They made the following
promise: “We will be contracting [with] an accredited waste disposal
company to remove waste other than recyclables. In the past all waste
went there but now bottles, labels, and label backings are all sent for
recycling. We are continually working with our recyclers to further
reduce the land fi ll with the intention to dispose of only food and
bio-degradable items in the dump” (R. Six, personal communication,
August 5, 2008).
FIJI Water now claims to be improving their environmental perfor-
mance and giving back to the local community, but the many residents
of Fiji who have been hearing such promises from both government and
industry for generations are understandably skeptical. In 2007, the
company founded the FIJI Water Foundation, which invested $150,000
in 2008 as a partner in the Rotary Pacifi c Water for Life Trust, to build
sustainable water projects all over Fiji in communities determined by
an external survey to have the highest levels of need (R. Six, personal
communication, August 5, 2008). In addition to making the Rotary
contribution, the foundation also provided water tanks, bores, piping,
and necessary expertise directly to several other schools and communities
that have applied for aid. Through this partnership with the Rotary Club,
the company plans to bring water access to hundreds of communities
(R. Six, personal communication, August 5, 2008).
Both FIJI Water and the owners of the Vatukoula Mine are foreign
companies. Vatukoula's parent company has been a publicly traded cor-
poration, while FIJI Water is a privately held corporation. However, their
conduct vis-à-vis environmental compliance and social responsibility has
been comparable.
The Role of Domestic Regulation
The Mining Act of 1978 is still the primary piece of legislation governing
mining and subterranean activities in Fiji. While the act prohibits the
pollution of waterways, and also requires the fi lling of any hole, shaft,
pit, or other excavation site created by mining (The Mining Act of 1978),
the fi nes imposed for violations of the act are extremely small, especially
when levied against a large foreign corporation such as the Australian
mine owners, EML. For example, the act calls for a fi ne not to exceed
$100 FJD for anyone who “causes or permits the deposit or discharge
