What other tailings method is there?

IT is clear that the Morobe government through Governor Ginson Saonu, coastal villagers of Morobe and women, as reported in The National last Thursday, are against the proposed deep sea tailings placement (DSTP), because of safety and environmental concerns.
The project developers, on the other hand, maintain that the DSTP is the best option for its mining project, based on its evaluation undertaken in line with the draft DSTP general guidelines of the Government.
DSTP was considered and independently verified, meeting the appropriate worldwide industry policy, law, best practices and professional standards, out of (45) potential on-land sites that were extensively assessed and evaluated, but all involved risks and constraints.
Some reasons the project developers provided against the preferred land-based waste tailings dam or storage, are that the nearby sites are prone to continuous high rainfall levels with unsuitable soil texture and frequent seismic activity which could be risky during the project’s lifetime and beyond.
Any on-land tailings facilities would require a huge tract of land, which according to studies, could disturb the environment.
It will result in the displacement of the local communities.
Their livelihoods will be affected.
While these safety and environmental concerns have been raised by the Morobe government and the people, the Government continues to take a “no-care attitude” approach, as shown by its recent signing of the environment permit for the project.
The environmental impact studies, submitted to the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority, according to the developers, predict no major effects on marine and coastal resources and local communities using the DSTP method.
Why is the Morobe government now raising these safety and environmental concerns, at this advanced stages of the project development, when they should have done so during environment impact studies reviews?
The stand of the Morobe government and its people is that” “We are not against the mine, but we reject DSTP “.
They stand by the fact they have “scientific evidence” that poisonous and destructive wastes emanating from the DSTP method will profoundly affect the people.
So what would then be the alternative type of tailings disposal that the Morobe government would want for the project when all other potential on-land sites had been exhausted?
The project developers are adamant that any on-land waste disposal is not safe and that DSTP is the safest and most environmentally and socially responsible tailings option for the duration of the project and beyond mine closure.
It is unlikely that the project will be given the approval (special mining lease) any time soon due these scenarios and the threats of yet another expensive legal proceedings that are hanging over the project.
We might as well forget any prospect of developing the mine project.

Lorenitz Gaius,
Qxc qxc +’Hospital Hill’,
Lae