Pinpet Mountain under imminent threat as iron project speeds ahead.... "Excavation of Burma?s second largest iron deposit located in southern Shan State is imminent as bulldozers begin preparatory clearing on the iconic Pinpet Mountain, home to 7,000 people. The 300 residents in Pang Ngo village are in immediate danger from falling rocks and landslides as machines uproot trees, clear brush and remove top soil on the west side of the mountain. Farm fi elds at the foot of the mountain may be covered with toxic waste soils once the excavation starts as ore samples at the site have tested high for arsenic content. Construction activities at the secretive iron factory compound are also racing ahead. Underground bunkers are now complete and a massive new crushing facility (see inside) now towers above the compound walls. Surveys for uranium conducted on the mountain in the past continue to fuel persistent concerns that this project is linked to Burma?s nuclear plans. Meanwhile according to authorities the forced relocation of nearby villages will begin after the military regime?s sham elections, beginning with the extraction of a community graveyard in December. Land confi scation continues unabated. Local villagers are calling to stop the project, protect the mountain and save the main waterway for the entire Hopone valley from toxic pollution before it?s too late..." This briefing is an update of PYO?s report, "Robbing the Future published in June 2009".