Level of mercury at Buyat Bay still safe: Minister
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Manado
State Minister of the Environment Nabiel Makarim says the amount of mercury in Buyat Bay in Minahasa, North Sulawesi, where mining company PT Newmont Minahasa Raya dumps its tailings, is within safety limits.
He said the arsenic and mercury content of fish taken from the bay was also still under the hazardous level. He did not, however, reveal the current level of mercury in the bay nor the safe level of mercury.
"There is no indication of pollution in the area," Nabiel said after meeting President Megawati Soekarnoputri at the State Palace on Monday.
He said that the 40 people claiming to be suffering from Minamata disease only had skin ailments. "No Minamata disease is to be found at the site," Nabiel said.
He, however, stressed that the government would still look into the cause of the ailments suffered by people living in the area.
Speculation had been ripe that Buyat Bay was contaminated following reports that PT Newmont Minahasa Raya was dumping toxic waste into the bay.
A team of lawyers representing people claiming to be victims of the company filed on Monday a lawsuit against Newmont and the Ministry of Health.
They demanded compensation of Rp 5 trillion from the company and Rp 3 trillion from the Ministry of Health to recover damages suffered by their clients -- Rasit Rahmat, Masna Stirman and Juhria Ratubahe.
They cited articles 1365 and 1366 of the Civil Code as the basis of their lawsuit against Newmont, and Law No. 23/1992 on health as their basis for filing suit against the ministry.
Meanwhile, the National Police said on Monday they would prioritize the report filed by Buyat Bay residents before Newmont's report because the residents' report was filed first.
"Aside from that, we will process the report from the public first to prevent wider damages. The police are committed to protecting the people first," said National Police chief of detectives Comr. Gen. Suyitno Landung.
He said that police investigators sent to Minahasa had sent samples of water, rock and fish taken from the Buyat Bay to the police laboratory to determine the chemical content of the bay.
"We can't say yet whether the area is contaminated with mercury or other chemicals, or whether Newmont polluted its surroundings with dangerous chemicals that damaged residents' health," said Suyitno.
Meanwhile, the North Sulawesi legislature was forced to postpone a hearing to discuss pollution in Buyat Bay because most legislators insisted that representatives from Ratatotok village, Minahasa, and non-governmental organizations be invited to the hearing.
Djitro Tamengge, the hearing chairman, delayed the meeting for several days to wait until Buyat and Ratatotok residents and non- governmental organizations can attend the meeting.