The Motherlode database

Staff at the Mineral Policy Institute regularly answer questions such as: What's BHP's record on environment and human rights? Are there any mines in the Solomon Islands? How can I contact the directors of Rio Tinto? In researching and answering questions such as these, we've built a valuable resource of mining information. Information is power, and we beleive this information should be readily accessible to people affected by mining around the world.

The Motherlode is a database designed to provide easy public access to vital mining information. The Motherlode is being developed by the Mineral Policy Institute in partnership with the Environmental Mining Council of British Columbia (Canada) and Project Underground (USA) to track mining companies, mine sites and mining impacts internationally.

How better to give people access to this info than via the world wide web? The Motherlode web database features a simple yet powerful interface. Users can retrieve company and mine information as well as a host of other types of data. The database may also be available in desktop version for those without Internet access.

A working prototype of the Motherlode has been developed, and data is being entered and checked. It is expected that the website will be launched in early 2000.