DSTP is safe, says miner

The National Main Stories

THE Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture management says it is maintaining its stand on deep sea tailings placement (DSTP) waste management for its proposed gold-copper project.
DSTP method of waste disposal has been rejected by the landowners and people of Morobe, represented through the Morobe government.
In a statement to The National, the company said it was “confident that DSTP is the safest and most environmentally and socially responsible tailing management solution for this project.”
Although a DSTP forum held in Lae a week ago stated otherwise, the company said its option for DSTP “is supported by the industry’s leading scientific studies”.
The company said 45 potential sites assessed and examined for their suitability for traditional land-based tailings storage all involve significant risks and constraints.
“Risks are present due to the high seismicity, liquifiable soils and high rainfall in the region,” the company said.
“Many sites have river sediment foundations and active geological faults presenting unacceptable earthquake risks. Other sites have high biodiversity, cultural and heritage value.”
The statement noted that assessments were undertaken in accordance with appropriate industry professional standards, including Australian and international guidelines according to the recognised committee on large dams (ANCOLD and ICOLD), the ICMM Tailings Management Guidelines (2016) and appropriate IFC performance standards (2012).
Furthermore, it said that land-based tailings storage would disturb between 4.2 and 33.75sq km of land, depending on total storage volume and embankment height – “this is land which could be used for farming or living by local communities.
“This disturbance of land could require the displacement of communities and their livelihood and would cover areas that could have high environmental, social and cultural values,” the company added.
“Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture respects the robust permitting processes and will continue to engage with the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (Cepa) in its assessment of the project environmental impact study, and to ensure all stakeholders have full and accurate information.”

14 comments

  • It looks good from outside but the banks make too difficult for ordinary Papua New Guinean to access it. The intention is right but the actually application is too impossible. Banks should relax their terms and conditions for easy access.

    • In a statement to The National, the company said it was “confident that DSTP is the safest and most environmentally and socially responsible tailing management solution for this project.”
      DSTP is not the safest and environmentally and tailing management. It is the cheapest!
      Stop confusing our people, you want to reap our resources you have to pay.
      Build that dam for the placements – and if the villages have to be relocated then you (Company/Miner) have to make that happen for them. For so long our resources has been ripped off from us, now is the time that we the people of Papua New Guinea will have to stop this because our government can not do that for us!

  • Don’t think about yourselves, you will get all the benefits but what about our people along the coast of Morobe Province? It is unfair for you get all the good benefits and feed us with your wastes therefore we say NO to DSTP!

  • Well, than cancel the whole thing. Ol’ tumbuna stap long taim bipo inap I Kam nau. Na ol’ pikinini ken step olsem. What’s the use of a gold mine if you don’t benefit from it and the only thing you get is the destruction of your bush, land and water. Tell them to go back to Australia to do their mining. People won’t have better houses, better roads, and better school or health systems because of one mine. Just look at Porgera, Ok Teri and Panguna? Just vmcancel it.

  • People can be relocated and get compensated financially but would that sustain the generations to come down the line when they lose that vital land. What good will come out of that waste that will occupy the land and how would the waste dissapear to have the land available for re-use?

  • We have presented an Alternative Mine Tailings Waste Management Option. Dewatering and filtration of the Tailings Slurry into Tailings Cake material is the way forward. Technology is available for this to happen. Dry Tailings are safe to store on land compared to wet tailings or DSTP.

  • it is natural for the company spokesperson to say that.

    I suggest a read of the following which I think is a sobering read.

    ‘The ecological impacts of submarine tailings placement -2016’
    Source is Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, 2016, 54, 315-366 file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/Theecologicalimpactsofsubm.pdf.

    The final paragraph is worth quoting:
    ………Given these uncertainties around the impacts of STP/DSTP, coupled with the enhanced connectivity of both deep-water and pelagic environments, it is imperative that participating countries, the global scientific community, and managing entities act urgently to bridge these knowledge gaps, improve management practices, and take a more precautionary approach to the implementation of
    STP and DSTP.

    • Here we go again Miners of Choice playing reverse psychology! trying to justify that Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) on land is impossible. You built a TSF at Hidden Valley in mountainous area with regular seismic activity and limited real estate, just tell the truth that we really dont care PNG can be used as a DSTP country because it is easy to manipulate Mr Mori and PMJM. One of the 2 Companies in the JV is a cost saving company by now everyone knows that. They should put down on their environment statement that it cares more about cost saving then the environment.

      Pangu Party are you going to listen to the people of Morobe or listen to the developers. The people cannot be fooled, make the right decision or face the consequences in the next election. Also Mr Basil DPM very quite, peoples voices not heard.

      Also Morobe people and LOs must be united the Mine operators are champions in spliting the unity of the people enriching only the Tier 1 LOs to support the signing of DSTP…

  • Really….? DSTP safer? What if the tides suddenly changes and you get all the tailings or slurry upwelling back into shallow waters and toxic components enter the food chain…? Em bai olsem wanem nao? Em dispela em Safer..? And what about the slurry getting washed up to shallow waters? Next thing we know. Ships cannot berth into the ports cos the sea is too shallow. Sounds more scarier than safer.

  • DSTP ah? You plan to get so much from PNG, kaikai planti but nogat toilet so ba go lo solwara? What a shame!

    You have the intelligence to build a mine ok use the same intelligence to build a land tailings. Spend the money, why do you want to save it?

    Where will you put your pipeline through. Morobe Landowners will not allow you.

  • There are only 7 DSTP in the world. 2 in Africa and 5 in PNG! The world over has banned outright the DSTP and here we have a gloated miner who shamelessly says the DSTP is SAFER??!!

    The Government should seriously reconsider its position now before it is too late. The Minister continues to rabble with the miner and what is he up to? Has he been bought off, like so many other politicians, who deny their people’s rights for their own selfish gains?

    Morobe, STAND FAST. YOUR BROTHERS ARE WITH YOU ON THIS. NO DSTP, PERIOD!

  • Unfortunately, no one will know whether it is safe or not to dispose tailings in the Huon Gulf until several generations have passed. If problems with the Huon Gulf fishery eventuate it will then be too late to correct the error. Does PNG have any institutional memory?
    Someone should unearth the study done in the waters off Missima, Milne Bay Province and Lihir Island, N I Province for the European Union funded National Mining Authority project around 2013/2014. This work as carried out by a Scottish Research organisation. The ocean floor exhibited very little if any fish life and showed very little evidence of recovery. This was combined with a study in Bassimuk Bay to establish baseline data for that area prior to tailings disposal. It would be appropriate to look at the state of Bassimuk Bay at this stage for comparison purposes.

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