Fly River clean-up yet to start, minister says

By DALE LUMA
ENVIRONMENT, Conservation and Climate Change Minister Wera Mori says dredging at the mouth of the Fly River has not began yet even though a clean-up notice was given to Ok Tedi Mining Ltd. Mori said sand and sediment build up as a result of mining activities needed to be cleared in order for the river to be used. “Despite the fact that we have issued a clean-up notice to Ok Tedi, they have not got their act together to start the cleaning up the mouth of the Fly River,” he said. It is understood that an overseas company was to be involved in a major dredging project in the Gulf of Papua to remove all the sediments building up there. The company, from Hong Kong, Hong Kong Financial Group Ltd, was supposed to undertake the project and ship away all the sediments to clear the waterways and sea at no cost to Ok Tedi. Mori, however, told The National yesterday that they had not done that yet but it was up to Ok Tedi to start coordinating with them (Hong Kong Financial Group Ltd). He said it was Ok Tedi’s responsibility to organise the cleanup.
Mori also previously said sedimentation build up had the potential to affect marine life, reef ecosystems and agriculture for the Middle Fly people. He said similar clean up exercises were to be carried out on the Ramu River and other River systems affected by sedimentation buildup. Ok Tedi spends around K273.3 million annually on its dredging operations at Bige which has so far seen regrowth.