Jane Perlez and Raymond Bonner, “Below a Mountain of Wealth, A River of Waste”, The New York Times (December 27, 2005)
The Grasberg mine is the largest gold mine and the third largest copper mine in the world. It is located in the province of Papua in Indonesia, and employs 19,500 people.
The mine generates 230,000 tonnes of tailings per day, which are directly poured into the Aikwa riverine system and Arafura Sea. Some 130 square kilometres (50 sq mi) (eventually 230 square kilometres (89 sq mi)) of lowland areas along the Aikwa River river, are saturated with copper, filled with sediment, and the fish have nearly disappeared. (Paraphrased from Wikipedia)
