Offering help to the people of Morobe

I REFER to your article in Monday’s edition ‘DSTP is safe, says miner’.
I am a Papua New Guinean structural engineer and until last month was the chairman of the structural engineers appointment committee to the Board of Engineers PNG.
I hold a BEng with 2A Honours and a PhD in structural engineering from an Australian university.
The retaining structure or dam is designed and certified by structural engineers.
My experience includes design and certification of a number of bridges in the Highlands Highway including Arkim, Biano, Pino, Nebilyer, Lai Enga, Lai Southern Highlands, Tuman, Koman, Tagali in Tari and Handara in East Sepik, Strickland in Western and a number of other bridges in the country.
I designed and certified a number of multi-storey buildings in Lae, Goroka, Mt Hagen and Wewak.
Lae, Wewak and some parts of Eastern Highlands are in Zone 2 of the PNG Earthquake Code.
Wafi-Golpu project is in thatsame zone.
I request the miner and Morobe government to send me the report so I can review as a Papua New Guinean structural engineer from coastal Morobe.
I have relatives living in Lae, Salamaua, Bukawa and Finschhafen who will be affected by the DSTP and upon reviewing the report, I can confirm whether it is unsafe to build a retaining structure near the mine site so that we can accept the miners or their engineers’ assessment.
I know that there are no structural engineers at the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority and the Works Department.
There no structural engineers in other Government agencies as well.
I understand why the Government took the view based on the miner’s assessment of the mine’s waste disposal.
I am willing to do this exercise for free.
I will send my assessment to the Morobe governemnt or any group that requests it.
I am prepared to help design or certify the retaining structure for free if that can be accepted.

Yaip Kingsford Telue
BEng Hons2A PhD
Structural and Bridge Engineer
Lae