[JURIST] Indonesia has threatened legal action against US mining company Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold [corporate website] if it does not improve environmental conditions near its gold mine in Papua. For the past few days, protestors have called for the government to take action against the mine in order to control the production of waste ore called tailings that could cause landslides or flooding. A landslide [Reuters report] near the plant on Thursday killed three workers and injured four others, but Freeport says the cause of the landslide was not related to its operation [PDF press release].

Indonesia earlier this year settled [JURIST report] a civil suit for environmental damage against Newmont Mining Corporation [corporate website; JURIST news archive] for $30 million. Criminal charges are still pending against Newmont's top executive in the region. Indonesia set a timetable of two to three years for Freeport to action and avoid litigation. AP has more. The Jakarta Post has local coverage.