Tailings proposal rejected

The National Main Stories

THE West Sepik government has rejected a proposal by the developer of the Frieda River project to build a tailings dam at the headwaters of the Sepik River, administrator Conrad Tilau says.
PanAust is the developer of the US$7 billion (K24.4bil) Frieda River project which is expected to create 4,000 jobs and opportunities.
Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) managing director Jerry Garry told The National last month that the Government was still waiting for PanAust on its proposal for the Frieda River project.
Garry said that a dam was not an option.
“We have rejected the developer’s environment plan and so they have to opt for another tailings disposal proposal such as deep sea tailings placement (DSTP),” Tilau said.
“We discovered that the developer’s environment report is not environment-friendly and the mine, when in operation, will greatly affect the people and the environment.”
Tilau said yesterday that the developer gave them their environmental report seeking their support to push for the mine to be constructed.
“We engaged an environmental and mining consultant to review the developer’s report and our consultant discovered that there was no proper report about the geophysical layout of the area to determine if it was an earthquake zone,” he said.
“There are no relocation plan and who would fund the relocation of villages to be affected by the mine?”
Tilau said the report had no baseline data for the environment impact statement.
“There was no proper data collection as some data was not accurate so there was no substances to convince us in the report that the environment will not be affected. The developer’s report was more like a cut and paste research,” he said.
Tilau said the provincial government would not give their report for rejecting the developer’s environment plan to the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority.
“The developer wants their wharf to be at Vanimo but we want their wharf to be at Sera in Aitape because Vanimo will be an industrial and tourism park,” he said. “But the developer refused to listen to us because they still want to put their export facilities in Vanimo town.”

10 comments

  • PNG Authority’s and landowners/citizens must dictate for their wellbeing and future generations and the effects on environment as well. lets not bow down to the pressure of MNC who are hungry for huge profits from our resources. Something like plans/strategies may look pretty and convincing on paper, but our people must realise that the natural environment and mother nature is not controlled by any human being or MNC for that matter. Any time the wind change direction, the damage will be done and all the so called expert advise put down on fancy plans/strategies will be rubbish, BAI WARA WASIM. And you the bottom feeder (landowners) will suffer the consequences, the MNC will pack up and go, not even your own government will want to deal with you. THATS A FACT, TAKE A LOOK AROUNG YOU NOW.

  • If Freida Mine is in Sandaun Province ESP just shy away. ESP should worry about the Sepik River and the natural habitat along the banks and interlands where life is sustained. The river should not be a mode of transport assisting the mine. Two facts remain obvious, (1) PanAust can construct the mine facility well away from the river system, and (2) construct an all weather road from Frieda to Sera where the export terminal is planned to be.
    Cut and Paste research reports have a tendency to flare 20/30 years later, we have seen that on Bougainville. Sepiks will have to make a collective decision on the future of the river.

  • What more evidence do we want when experts are always revealing negatives in the environmental proposals.
    It seems any more uneco-friendly environmental proposals by the developer would not be feasible and protective to the environment and would be real threats to the livelihood of the Sepik people.
    ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. The National and the two Provincial Governments should NOW STOP ANY MORE NEGOTIATION on the Frieda Mine Project.
    Instead they should consider other economic projects of sound economic benefits for the two provinces that will form as their respective economic bases and structures to drive them forward towards economic independence tomorrow.
    The Sepik people have spoken against this project and so why are our governments ignorantly continuing to negotiate it?
    PLEASE NO MORE NEGOTIATION. SAY COMPLETE NO TO THE FREIDA PROJECT.

  • A Chinese Government Metallurgical Company owns PanAust which is Managed by Australians.

    These Company operates in communist countries such as Laos and Myanmar where they operate cheaply with most of their supplies coming from China.

    Freida is a big Mine for China they will get all the copper and gold they need, they should be happy and spend more and develop Aitape into a business hub starting with a construction of wharf and also pump tailings and concentrate down to Aitape where they can have a tailings dam and also thicken and dry the copper gold concernteate to be shipped to China.

  • Deep-sea tailings disposal is NOT an environmentally friendly alternative. Enough treating the ocean as “out of sight, out of mind”. The wellbeing of the people of Papua New Guinea and the rest of the planet depend on healthy land and ocean. It’s time to listen to and respect the community’s vision for managing their own natural resource base.

  • I am afraid that, this developer is own by chinese. You know what this Asians specifically chinese have this, “DON’T CARE ATTITUDE,”. We had Ramu Nickel Mine and Basamuk experiences. That’s why I personally say big NO to this chinese company.

  • Sandaun province is well behind in terms of development. The government has done very little or otherwise nothing especially to the most back wards tribes of the province. Why should we deny them for that long if our government is unable to provide basic services since than. let it to operate with conditions that environmental concerns are welled covered and scrutinized by the government.

  • Complete ban is the way to go, the day you say yes to this your future generations will pay greatly.

    Bear in mind, they come in only and I mean only to make money and leave. They do not care one bit the detrimental effects it will pit to the people or the environment, all they want to see it profits going up and that is the fact of business.

    Look at other avenues for income opportunities, so what if it takes 5 or 10 years to prepare your resources won’t run away bottom line is you plan your future properly for the next generations.

  • Submarine tailings disposal (STD) is the only option and best regard in such a region where magnitude of earthquake is high ,which mean it can affect terrestial tailing dam.

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