Wafi-Golpu selling idea deep-sea tailing project safe

By EREBIRI ZURENUOC
THE awareness on deep-sea tailing placement (DSTP) by the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture team provided vital information for the people, says Labuta Local Level Government president Tups Waho.
Waho of Nawaeb district in Morobe said the awareness had been allowing people share their views on the project.
“The future of Labuta lies in the five-year development plan which must be captured in the proposed mining development plan,” Waho said.
“Two of the important impact projects covered in the five-year development plan are fisheries and eco-tourism because ward one to ward 13 are in the coast.
“There are a lot of fishing communities, and many locals use fishing as the means to generate income, and as a protein for their food.”
Labuta said people were still concerned about chemicals from the DSTP which might harm them.
DSTP engagement leader Andy Maie told Talec villagers tailings would only be harmful once it came into contact with air. “Our two-year study show that the deep-sea in the Huon Gulf peninsula is suitable for the proposed tailings displacement at depths of more than 200 metres,” he said.
“There is no risk of current upwelling and no fish life living beyond that 200-metre depth,” he said.
“The discharge will flow into the Markham canyon, to join the sediment discharge from the Markham and Busu rivers that flow towards the 9km deep New Britain trench.
“There are plans for monitoring stations to assess the sediment flows from rivers, monitoring of the ocean currents, fish sampling, water quality, and other studies.”