Level of mercury at Buyat Bay still safe: Minister
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.