Freeport lets govt verify its green audit
Freeport lets govt verify its green audit
JAKARTA (JP): Gold and copper miner PT Freeport Indonesia said here on Wednesday it would welcome any governmental response to the publication of an audit praising the company's environmental management system.
Freeport vice president for environmental affairs Bruce E. Marsh said here the company disclosed the results of the audit voluntarily, and it was open for anybody and any institution for response.
If necessary, he said, the government or the Environmental Impact Management Agency (Bapedal) could verify the audit, which was conducted by international independent environmental engineering firm Montgomery Watson.
"If they want to verify the audit, if they want to investigate Freeport, if they want to send their inspectors to our site, Bapedal can do whatever they need to do to evaluate Freeport's performance.
"If they want to hire their own auditor, they can do that also. It's their job to make sure that companies following laws in Indonesia," he said.
Marsh was responding to concerns expressed by State Minister of the Environment Sonny Keraf earlier this week that Freeport should not have announced the results of the audit without having first verified them with Bapedal.
Montgomery Watson's audit described Freeport's environmental management system as "a showcase for the mining industry", citing the company's compliance with existing environmental laws and regulations.
Freeport announced the results of the audit in late December 1999, and placed advertisements containing the executive summary of the audit results in various publications last month.
The audit results were announced amid reports that Freeport's tailings had contaminated mollusks, a food source for locals, in the nearby rivers and destroyed mangrove forests.
Freeport, an affiliate of New Orleans-based Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, has long been blamed accused of environmental degradation around its mining site in Grasberg, Irian Jaya.
The announcement of the audit results and the placement of the advertisements by the company apparently displeased Keraf, who threatened to begin a drive to counter Freeport's publicity campaign.
The chairwoman of the Indonesian Environmental Forum, Emmy Hafild, supported Keraf's stance, and said the audit could not be fully trusted because it was conducted by an auditor appointed and paid by Freeport.
She said the environmental report by Montgomery Watson was subjective, pointing to the fact that it mainly revealed information which benefited Freeport.
"How could it be accurate and true if the audit itself was funded by Freeport and performed by a company which was appointed by Freeport," she said.
She said a number of industrial companies, including Freeport, focused more on generating revenue than reducing the impact of their operations on the environment.
Emmy said Keraf should be supported to ensure that companies gave more attention to environmental protection.
Freeport's Marsh said Keraf had requested PT Montgomery Watson Indonesia explain its environmental audit of Freeport's operations to Bapedal later this week.
"After that meeting, they will determine whether it's necessary to verify the audit, or to have another investigation, or another audit, or whatever," Marsh said, adding that he did not see any reason why the government should be upset by the announcement of the audit results.
Montgomery Watson chief operating officer Alan J. Krause said the public should regard the audit results impartially. Besides praising Freeport, the auditor also presented 24 recommendations for the company to improve further its environmental management system.
Montgomery Watson recommended Freeport conduct a comprehensive groundwater study and monitoring, and increase biological monitoring of estuaries downstream of the tailings deposit area to gauge the impact upon mollusks.
It also suggested Freeport modify and update its mining closure plan for the entire project area, including the huge tailings deposit area.
"It's Indonesia that needs to make sure that Freeport addresses all these recommendations," Krause said. (rid/cst)