Rheebu Nuu
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rheebu Nuu is an environmental organization on the French territory of New Caledonia; the organization's name means "eye of the land" in the local Djubea language. The group was set up to watch the activities of the Goro Nickel mining company. Since 2001 Rheebu Nuu has been pressing Goro Nickel to consult with indigenous communities and for environmental norms to be respected.
The Goro Nickel project is located close to the Goro village and is alleged to create substantial pollution. The New Calendonian government subsidises the project despite its violations of French laws.
Brasilian company CVRD is the new owner of the Goro Nickel project since CVRD's purchase of Inco, the original majority owner of the project.
[edit] Pollution risk from Goro-Nickel and Prony Energie
The Goro Nickel project will, if it goes ahead, dump five hundred cubic metres per hour of waste into New Caledonia's lagoon which has been proposed as a world heritage site. The plant will also dump 160 thousand cubic metres of heavy metal sludge per day in a pit that is the site of a forest that contains many rare and as yet unstudied endemic species. The waste site is situated on a seismic fault and above the water table of indigenous peoples' villages. The Goro-Nickel project is associated to the Prony Energie power plant which also being constructed. This power plant will use high sulphur content coal and emit SO2 at levels in excess of French limits.
[edit] Confrontations with the authorities
People protesting against Inco have been arrested on several occasions. Rheebu Nuu claims that indigenous people are being harassed by the authorities through protesters being beaten up and fired upon. On the 1st of April 2006 Inco's construction was halted for over a month after Inco alleged that protesters did ten million US dollars worth of damage.
Inco's plant is defended by hundreds of soldiers living in Inco's plant ready to intervene using armoured vehicles.
