Saonu denies signing permit for project

MOROBE Governor Ginson Saonu has denied claims that he had signed the environment permit for the Wafi-Golpu mine’s deep sea tailings project.
He said the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (Cepa) was the authorised government body to approve that.
“There are a lot of rumours that I have signed the environmental permit,” he said.
“I want to make it clear that I have not signed the permit.
“I was there as the Government (Prime Minister James Marape, Mining Minister Johnson Tuke) and Cepa, through its minster, signed the permit after the Government allowed it.”
Saonu said the signing was done in principle to allow work to proceed so that it gave the developer the message that the Government had allowed work to continue, despite certain issues surrounding its progress such as the waste management and landowner issues.
The DSTP issue has been an ongoing one in the past two years.
Coastline villagers are against the DSTP. The landowners are still organising themselves.
The developer is also waiting.
“That’s why the Government has to allow the signing so that the project can get off the ground for the developer to prepare itself,” Soanu said.
“There will be room for negotiations, and the government will find ways with necessary technologies to deal with issues surrounding the mine, according to the people, the church and other concerned parties view.”