High Court claims issued against Rio Tinto plc over allegations environmental contamination from mine in Madagascar has caused local people to have dangerous levels of lead and uranium in their bodies

On 23 September 2026, the local residents issued legal claims against Rio Tinto plc and QMM, alleging that acidic wastewater containing high levels of uranium, lead, and other metals has been discharged into the environment surrounding the mineral sands mine in the Anosy region of Southern Madagascar.

The mine is 80% owned by the Rio Tinto Group.

The claimants allege that the toxic metals have been absorbed into their bodies as a result of the mine wastewater contaminating local lakes and waterways. The locals rely on these water sources for all their domestic needs, including for drinking, cooking, washing, cleaning, bathing and irrigation. More than two thousand of the claimants are children who bathe and play in the lakes and waterways alleged to have been contaminated by the wastewater.

The 6,649 claimants live in significant poverty in one of the poorest regions of one of the poorest countries in the world. The claimants largely lead subsistence livelihoods and are almost entirely dependent on the resources of the natural environment, including the local waterways. As a result, loss or damage to locally available natural resources has serious consequences for their livelihoods that cannot easily be replaced by alternative forms of income.

Testing arranged by the claimants’ lawyers has identified significantly elevated levels of lead and/or uranium in the bodies of a number of claimants, including individuals whose results exceed World Health Organisation thresholds at which medical care is recommended. One individual has such high levels of lead that they require a medical process called chelation therapy to remove it from their bloodstream.

The villagers do not have access to the medical care that they now need.  Lead is particularly harmful to young children, where it can cause permanent brain damage that can lead to a range of cognitive and behavioural disorders. Exposure to uranium can damage the body’s development, particularly in children and pregnant women, as well as increasing cancer rates and damaging kidney function.

In addition to the health impacts caused by the water contamination, the claimants make various allegations regarding the severe impact of the mine on their lives and livelihoods. Among other things, the claimants allege that the mine and its associated infrastructure have caused:

• A reduction in the nature and abundance of local fish stocks, which are relied upon by the claimants both as a source of food and as a source of income
• The generation of high levels of dust and noise, leading to adverse health impacts and nuisance
• The widespread destruction of natural resources, including plants which are used by the claimants for their livelihoods and for cultural purposes

The claimants, represented by UK law firm Leigh Day, seek compensation from Rio Tinto plc and QMM for the loss and damage they have suffered. They also seek court orders that would require the defendants to remediate the damage they have caused and to stop any further contamination of the local environment.

The mine extracts ilmenite, monazite and zirsill (a blend of the minerals zircon, sillimanite and quartz). Ilmenite, the main product of the mine, is used to manufacture titanium dioxide, a white pigment used in paint, food and cosmetics including toothpaste.

The Defendants have denied liability and have failed to engage with invitations to participate in alternative dispute resolution.

The residents are being represented by Leigh Day partners Sophie Turner and Paul Dowling.

Leigh Day international department partner Sophie Turner said: 

“The filing of these claims marks a significant step in our clients’ long pursuit of justice and accountability for contamination which they say has affected their health, lives and livelihoods. For years, local people who are entirely dependent on the local environment have lived with the alleged consequences of Rio Tinto’s operations and have struggled to have their voices heard.

"They hope Rio Tinto will now listen to their concerns and take meaningful action by providing fair compensation for the harm they have suffered, cleaning up the contamination, and restoring the environment on which their communities depend. Our clients remain hopeful that Rio Tinto will engage constructively and work towards a prompt resolution, rather than prolonging the dispute through lengthy legal battles while affected families continue to bear the consequences of the damage alleged.”