The document discusses environmental damage and health issues caused by mining operations on Marinduque Island in the Philippines. Tailings and waste from the Marcopper mine were dumped into surrounding bodies of water from 1989-2004, contaminating rivers and bays with heavy metals and resulting in widespread pollution. Local communities have suffered from illnesses, skin diseases, and birth defects attributed to exposure to the toxic mine waste through drinking water, agricultural fields, and consumption of contaminated fish.