Landowners urge Govt to reconsider waste disposal method

By JIMMY KALEBE
A GROUP of people in Morobe, opposed to the use of the deep sea tailing placement (DSTP) system of waste disposal in the Wafi-Golpu copper and gold project, wants the Government to listen to them.
The Government recently granted an environment permit to the two partners of the project to move forward work on the mine.
The DSTP system will be used.
The landowners at a forum yesterday called on the Government to reconsider its decision as they feared the DSTP system would pollute the marine ecosystems they depended on for food.
They do not want the waste disposal system and called on the Government to include them in all decision-making on the project.
They told Governor Ginson Saonu that they wanted the project to proceed but to use an alternative waste disposal system.
Mumeng local level government president Amos Kekeng said the people had identified two areas for waste management and a dry tailing dam. “We want the project to go ahead.
“Since DSTP is (being opposed), we provide the alternative and that is for waste disposal on the ground,” Kekeng said.