Govt signs environmental statement for mine project

The National National

By HELEN TARAWA
THE Government yesterday signed an environmental impact statement approval for the K18 billion Wafi-Golpu project after an agreement with the Morobe government to start moving the project forward.
Prime Minister James Marape said the signing would enable the granting of a Special Mining Lease (SML) and negotiations for a mining development contract between the state, developer and stakeholders.
“We are moving this project and heeding the call of Morobe Governor Ginson Saonu and the people on the possibility of a tailings storage facility,” he said.
“It is time for us to sit with every party and open dialogue again.”
Marape said the Government and Morobe government would consider options which were economically viable and for the best mine waste disposal method.
The Government will have a 50-50 arrangement to sponsor feasibility studies on some of the issues the Morobe government had raised.
It includes the bulk sampling of mine waste tailings over an extended period of at least three years.
There will be testing of mine waste to determine the presence of gold and copper minerals and to determine best technology available in extracting the residuals.
“The testing would be to see if there are any opportunity to make business out of them and determine the type of terrestrial waste facility that is suitable,” he said.
“Gold bullion discussions will grow bigger and provincial government has put proposal for business opportunity in that space.”

2 comments

  • ‘There may be trouble ahead,
    But while there’s moonlight and music and love and romance,
    Let’s face the music and dance.
    Before the fiddlers have fled,
    Before they ask us to pay the bill,
    And while we still have the chance,
    Let’s face the music and dance.
    Soon, we’ll be without the moon, humming a different toon,
    And then, there may be tear drops to shed.
    Song by Nat king Cole in 1964

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