Review mining dumping methods

THE Basamuk bay tailing spillage is very unfortunate and one that should have been avoided from the outset.
While on a medical patrol before the beginning of any mining activity in the area, I was shown the planned dumping zone by a relative who was the district manager at the Saidor government station.
I had made known to him what would be expected if proper measures were ignored.
In 2000, while being a committee member to provide advise to the Porgera Joint venture, similar occurrences along the entire Strickland river system from Suyan to Lake Murray, Herbert River and the Fly River delta raised much concern among mining influence zone communities resulting in immediate but careful corrective measures taken then.
We have yet to learn the long term variations from activities following Bougainville’s Panguna mine closure on Jaba river, closure of the Misima gold mine, the present Lihir Island mining activities, OK Tedi mining and now the Basamuk bay, to direct how we could successfully dump our future mining wastes.
Some areas in the country are already using inland deep dumping or pond system which are than filled up with waste rocks topped up with a good layer of soil and have plants growing on top.
Only time and geological activities can reveal our success or failure using this dumping method.
The occurrences at Basamuk bay is located in a narrow lagoon.
It is part of the mountainous geography inland and would quickly elevate the sea floor in no time as the deepest section 800 meters, thereby creating sea swells greater than normal, resulting in displacement and scattering of hatching and juvenile marine life and faster erosion of the seashore structure.
I note Prof. Kaluwin’s ‘laymen comments’ and hope more scientific discussions are generated.
While it may be premature to shut down the mining activities in the Basamuk area, I would hope that there be room for further assessment of a proper dumping site by all environmental scientists in country, at various locations between Madang and the Morobe regions, without much disturbance to the echo systems along the PNG coastline.
I would suggest an open forum be organised by the departments of environment, mining, universities and research organisations to seek our views on alternative methods of mining waste.

Gerard Saleu