Chemical spill

THE multibillion kina Ramu Nickel and Cobalt Project in Madang cannot be closed down unless the Chinese developer, Ramu Nico Management (MCC) Ltd, is identified as solely responsible for the chemical spill into Basamuk Bay from the company’s refinery site last week.
Until facts, figures and responsibility levels are identified the closure of this huge project should not be an issue yet.
The issue of the effectiveness of the Deep Sea Tailing Placement (DSTP) at Basamuk was contested in both the Madang National Court and the Supreme Court starting in 2009 and both courts stopped further development of the Ramu Mine but eventually the court injunctions were dismissed in 2011.
With that background, it remains to be seen if all stakeholders in this project, inclusive of the state agencies, had sufficiently exercised due care on the environment issue not only at the coast but also the mine site at Kurumbukari in Usino-Bundi.
However, the real issue on hand now is raised by the Madang Governor Peter Yama.
Yama claims that such incident of chemical spillage has happened at a time when the developer is deemed to be operating outside the mining laws, because the mining agreement expired in April 2019 and a new agreement must be in place.
On the lighter side of everything serious, 2019 is the ‘Chinese New Year of the Pig’ in which Chinese mythology speaks of wealth and fortune for persons and communities alike.
With that background maybe the Chinese developer can take the lead in cooperating against confrontation to solve the current Basamuk community based issues and the PNG government should not prolong the need for new a mine agreement now well overdue.

Joe Koroma
Chairman, Guiyeibi Nogoi Yowo
Omowo Clan
Kurumbukari minesite area