Govt ministers, MPs now join the fight

Patrick Matbob
Opposition to the tailings disposal plans of the multi-million kina Ramu Nickel project is mounting in PNG.

The PNG Catholic Church, the largest Christian denomination in the country, has joined growing chorus of protest calling for a review of Ramu’s environmental plans.

In a statement to the media, the Catholic Bishops Conference of PNG said the submarine tailings disposal plan must not be allowed to go ahead.

The stance of the Catholics supports earlier calls by the Lutheran Church which is the predominant denomination established around the Basamuk Bay area against the waste disposal plans. Head Bishop of the church, Dr Wesley Kigasung has been trying unsuccessfully to meet with the Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare since last year to voice the church’s concern.

The Lutheran Church had also commissioned the Mineral Policy Institute of Australia to carry out an independent study which warned against allowing tailings to be dumped into the bay.

Apart from the churches and local organisations, there have been opposition within the government ranks to the waste disposal plans.

PNG’s Fisheries Minister Ben Semri and Minister for Environment and Conservation Benny Allen have opposed Ramu Nickel’s plans during grievance debate in Parliament last month.

Semri told parliament he was particularly concerned that the dumping of waste may affect the PNG National Fisheries Authority’s (NFA) recent accreditation into the European and Japanese fish markets.

He said PNG would lose out if its fish were found to have high levels of toxins in them.

“NFA will not be irresponsible to let destruction or pollution of huge volumes from entering our seas,” Semri said.

PNG has been exporting tuna products to European Union markets under the Interim Economic Partnership agreement with the European Union.

The Opposition shadow minister for fisheries Sam Basil has also asked the Prime Minister Somare to state his position on the dumping of tailings into Basamuk Bay. The Prime Minister was instrumental in inviting the Chinese government to develop the mine on generous terms after the project could not attract interest from a major developer.

Meanwhile, Ramu Nickel Mine’s management has refuted claims the tailings would affect the environment.

The company in a statement to the media has promised not to endanger any environment or marine life with its proposed deep-sea tailings placement (DSTP).

A company spokesman said; “The Ramu tailing solid will firstly be neutralised and stabilised before disposal and soluble metals will be precipitated. This process has been verified by positive test results. After neutralisation the tailings will be discharged into a canyon 150 metres under the sea level, which is 70 metres below the deepest measured zone of sunlight (euphotic zone); 50 metres below the zone in which upwelling can occur and 30 metres below the deepest measure surface mixed layer of the ocean.”

The company said it has spent up to K3.6 million on the environment study and after exhaustive scientific studies and analysis, and following a peer review in 2000, the environmental plan was approved by the government for offshore disposal.

Since then, it claimed the disposal techniques have undergone further environmental refinement. In July last year, the company submitted the application for an amended environment permit of construction and operation phases, along with an updated baseline survey report, DSTP basic design, and tailing assessment reports.

In November last year, an amended environmental permit for project construction and operation stages was granted by the Environment and Conservation Department including the permit for DSTP.

The company has also denied allegations that it is smuggling illegal migrants to work on the mine.

Deputy General Manager of Ramu NiCo Management (MCC) Wu Zuefeng described the allegations that illegal immigrants were being shipped into Basamuk for work at the project as offensive and implausible.

Xuefeng said all their workers entered PNG by air through Port Moresby.

However, the Customs and National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspections Authority (NAQIA) office in Madang said they would look into the matter.

The issue of illegal migrants entering the country was raised in Parliament last month by Rai Coast MP Niuro Sapia, who is the local MP.

Sapia claimed ships from overseas bound for the mine were going straight to Basamuk Bay, taking with them illegal immigrants.