Govt team probes slurry overflow

A GOVERNMENT team is on the ground to investigate the overflow of acid slurry at the Ramu Nico refinery in Basamuk Bay, Madang.
Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) managing director Jerry Garry said the area had been cordoned off.
Garry and Mining Minister Johnson Tuke were expected to visit the site and do an independent assessment on the extent of the damage.
“The investigations will determine the nature of the slurry, including toxicity, pH and other heavy elements discharged and how best to mitigate the slurry already accidentally discharged into the ocean,” he said.
He said there was an overflow from one of the slurry tanks (aluminium iron removal tanks) last Saturday, at 4.30am during maintenance work.
“Two slurry pumps failed which caused an overflow for almost 48 minutes. The overflowed slurry flowed into a retention sump then into the ocean as the gate was unintentionally closed at that time.”
Garry said MRA and Conservation, Environment Protection Authority were not informed until Saturday afternoon, and officers were dispatched to the site on Sunday and had reached the site on Monday afternoon to conduct a thorough investigation.