Govt to send team to check cyanide study on Newmont<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government will send a team to take tailing samples from gold
\nmining firm Newmont Minahasa Raya (NMR) in Minahasa, North
\nSulawesi, following a report that cyanide levels in the tailings
\nexceeded the government limit.<\/p>\n
\"We will conduct an independent test next month without any
\nfunds from NMR,\" Imam Hendargo, deputy assistant in charge of
\nenvironmental impact management at the Office of the State
\nMinister for the Environment, said on Friday.<\/p>\n
The team will charter a ship from the Agency for the
\nAssessment and Application of Technology to conduct the tests on
\nthe Newmont tailings. The team will also coordinate with the
\nRegional Environmental Impact Management Agency for the tests.<\/p>\n
\"We have asked permission from NMR to conduct the test and the
\ncompany has welcomed it,\" Imam said.<\/p>\n
Newmont and the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi)
\nagreed on Wednesday to verify the results of a study by the
\nenvironmental group which stated that cyanide levels in the
\ncompany's tailings were above government-set levels, causing
\nhealth and environmental problems.<\/p>\n
Walhi's study claimed that cyanide levels in the Newmont
\ntailings were four times higher than the government allowed
\nlevel.<\/p>\n
Newmont insists its free cyanide is at 0.02 milligrams per
\nliter and weak acid dissociable cyanide at between 0.2 and 0.48
\nmilligrams per liter, both below the government-allowed level of
\n0.5.<\/p>\n
The company uses cyanide to extract gold from crushed ore.<\/p>\n
Under Law No. 23\/1997 on environmental management, a firm that
\nintentionally pollutes the environment can be given various
\npenalties, ranging from a seizure of profits to closure of the
\ncompany.<\/p>\n
The government suspended the operation of PT Indorayon Inti
\nUtama in Porsea, North Sumatra, in 1998 due to allegations of
\nenvironmental damage caused by the company. The company, under
\nthe new name of PT Toba Pulp Lestari, resumed operation in March
\n2002.<\/p>\n
Also, Imam said the government and Padjadjaran University
\nwould deploy a joint team to examine the tailings of gold and
\ncopper mining firm Freeport Indonesia in Papua.<\/p>\n
\"We hope to conduct such tests every year to get independent
\nreports on the tailings of big mining companies,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Yanuardi Rasudin, deputy assistant in charge of mining,
\nenergy, oil and gas at the state minister's office, said the
\ngovernment wanted to check that the total suspended solid (TSS)
\nin Freeport's tailings did not exceed the minimum allowed level
\nof 400 milligrams per liter.<\/p>\n
\"We are worried that the TSS in Freeport's tailings, which
\ncould reach the sea, has surpassed our limit,\" he said.<\/p>\n
If it does exceed government-set levels, Freeport would be
\nrequired to take action to remedy the problem.<\/p>\n
\"Otherwise, the tailings could kill marine flora and fauna,\"
\nYanuardi said.<\/p>\n
Karliansyah, the deputy assistant in charge of environmental
\nimpact assessments, said experts who had evaluated Freeport's
\nSpecial Environment Assessment (ERA) concluded that the study
\nneeded improvement.<\/p>\n
He said that the assessment must explain in detail the health
\nimpact of Freeport's tailings by recording the health of a number
\nof locals over the course of their lives.<\/p>\n
In its latest ERA, Freeport only took random health samples
\nfrom the local population, reducing the validity of the
\nassessment. The company also has to carry out more detailed tests
\non the impact of its tailings on marine flora and fauna, he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-to-send-team-to-check-cyanide-study-on-newmont-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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