Save Palawan: Stop Mining Damage
The Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC), together with its partners Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC)/Friends of the Earth Philippines, Pacific Asia Resource Center (PARC), and Friends of the Earth Japan, is calling on the global community to stand with the affected communities of Palawan by joining an urgent petition against Sumitomo Metal Mining Corporation (SMM).
For over a decade, SMM’s nickel mining and processing operations in Palawan have caused severe environmental damage, notably polluting nearby rivers with toxic heavy metals, including hexavalent chromium — a carcinogen that poses significant health risks. Despite repeated exposure of these hazards, the company continues to operate and is now expanding its mining activities without implementing effective, publicly verifiable countermeasures to prevent further pollution.
Impact on Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities
The communities living near SMM’s HPAL (High Pressure Acid Leach) processing plant and the Rio Tuba nickel mining site — many of whom are Indigenous Peoples and farmers — have been subjected to health risks due to years of water pollution. These rivers serve as critical sources of domestic and agricultural water, making the contamination particularly devastating for local livelihoods and wellbeing.
The expansion of mining operations to Mt. Bulanjao has begun amid ongoing concerns about water pollution. Without safeguards in place, Indigenous and farming communities face decades of continued environmental harm.
Nickel’s Role in the Global Energy Transition
Sumitomo Metal Mining is a key supplier of battery materials used by major electric vehicle manufacturers such as Tesla and Toyota. While the global push for decarbonization and renewable energy is crucial, the social and environmental costs borne by local communities in Palawan highlight the urgent need for a just energy transition — one that does not sacrifice the health and rights of vulnerable populations for corporate profit.
Join the Petition
We call on individuals worldwide to add their voices to the petition demanding that Sumitomo Metal Mining halt all mining and processing activities in Palawan until it develops and implements effective and transparent measures to prevent environmental destruction and health hazards.
Sign the petition here: English Petition Document
For detailed insights on how SMM has repeatedly failed to address toxic water pollution, please refer to the ongoing water quality survey report conducted since 2009 in collaboration with Friends of the Earth Japan.
Watch and Learn
A video titled “Behind Decarbonization Technologies: What the Expansion of Rio Tuba Nickel Mine Will Bring” provides further understanding of the environmental and social consequences linked to nickel mining expansion in Palawan.
Together, we can stand for environmental justice, protect the health and rights of Palawan’s communities, and demand corporate accountability in the pursuit of sustainable development.
Read related articles: Please Join the Online Petition to Call on a Japanese Company to be Accountable for Environmental Damage in Palawan, the Philippines! | Friends of the Earth Japan
