Deep sea tailings placement not 100pc safe: LLG president

The National Business

DEEP Sea Tailings Placement (DSTP) will not be 100 per cent safe as there will still be damage done to the environment, says Salamaua local level government president Kolo Mathia.
Mathia made the statement during the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority’s (Cepa) visit to Buakap village for the Wafi-Golpu project’s DSTP awareness last week.
The Cepa delegation included Minister for Environment and Conservation Wera Mori at the request of Huon Gulf MP Ross Seymour.
Mathia had been in the mining industry for 35 years working with operations including Ok Tedi, Simberi and Lihir.
“Being in the system, I know when there is a blockage and total shut,” he said.
“We cannot contain but open the valve and just let it down the system into the river or down to the sea.
“Who knows, who cares, it’s gone.
“There will be wear and tear because of high pressure line.
“So there must be tight control when handling such operation and I want to acknowledge Cepa who have a done a great job to come and explain to the people on DSTP.”
Mathia urged the Government and the developers to find alternative solutions that can be beneficial.

4 comments

  • The Coastal villagers in the Huon Gulf have always said NO to the dumping of mine waste in our waters. We have continued to OPPOSE this and still this ‘arogant’ politicians are hell bent on trying to ‘push it down the throat’ of our PNG citizens… Please we just had disasters in OK tedi, Ramu and just recently the Bougainville Crisis… The politicians, partenering with foreign mining companies still do not seem to LISTEN to the people, as if the Bougainvill crisis was ‘fake’ or dream… Do NOT let this issue of being ‘deaf’ to the peoples wishes (NO MINE WASTE DUMP).., be aonther ‘trigger’ for another Bouganville in Morobe…, tell the minsters to divert the tailings into their own villages creeeks and rivers… maybe that is a good solution.. Definitely NO dumping in the waters of Huon Gulf… NO…and No….

  • CEPA must have better control measures in place before giving out Permit for Deep Sea Taikings Placement. Experience from Lihir all our fishing reefs have been destroyed by the discharged waste solids and the dissolved base metals have been absorbed by sea Flora. CEPA must make it the responsibility of the Mine Operator to annually bring in an World recognized Environment and Health auditor to work under LLG, Provincial government and Landowner association as a check to the Environmental reports produced by Mine Operators. We are not new to bring Environmental and Health issues up only to be turned down by Mine Operator who always say ” We have a permit to discharge or dump in your seas” CEPA step up and take back PNG.

  • Why continue to push for DSTP when there’s already evidence in Misima, Lihir, Simberi & Basamuk of the massive negative impacts. Mr Wera Mori, you are from Chimbu so you don’t care. You have to understand the lifestyles of the coastal people & how they depend on the sea for their livelihood.

    Unitech has the technical expertise to build a land tailings that will never impact the environment. CEPA must talk to them. Why send it to the sea.

    If you want DSTP, build it to Australia & send it to their sea, not in Morobe. Wafi project has no right to do that.

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