Yama invites interested parties to study pollution

MADANG Governor Peter Yama, pictured, is inviting the Government to join a team of scientists arriving from Europe soon to conduct a study on the pollution to the environment in Madang.
He said the team from Europe was invited by the Lutheran church to conduct tests on the water quality, marine life, soil, plants and animal life in the Ramu NiCo mine affected areas.
“I am calling on CEPA (Conservation Environment Protection Authority), university research teams, government scientists, the Ramu Nickel mine team and other interested people to do a joint sampling and scientific laboratory testing on the pollution,” he said.
The provincial government has banned fishing and the consumption of fish because a scientific report had confirmed that a high level of toxic material was found in the water.
The report blamed the waste and slurry leakage and spillage from the mine.
But the Ramu NiCo mine management said the fish ban imposed on fishing, selling and consumption of fish had nothing at all to do with the mine closure.
The Ramu NiCo management said it was related to safety issues which were had been rectified.
Yama rubbished a statement that the water and fish were safe for consumption from the Minister for Environment, Conservation and Climate Change Geoffery Kama.
Yama said according to scientific analysis, it had indicated a high tonicity of poisonous materials in the water, marine life, soil, crops and plants.