Newmont to be summoned over Buyat Bay pollution
Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
Following up their findings that Buyat Bay, North Sulawesi, is highly polluted, police are moving to question top management of PT Newmont Minahasa Raya to determine the source of the contamination.
A National Police environmental expert, and pollution investigator Comr. Sulistyo Indriatmoko said the police would commence the questioning soon after they announced on Wednesday the results of laboratory tests carried out on samples taken from the bay and residents living in its vicinity.
The first people to undergo the questioning will be PT Newmont's president director and relevant staff, who are expected to provide details of the company's disposal system.
"They will have to explain what kind of chemicals they use in the mining process, and what chemicals they dispose of to the bay. We shall then compare their answers with our laboratory test results," Sulistyo told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
He said the police could only determine the source of the contamination after questioning PT Newmont officials and some experts.
Sulistyo said the police were completing tests on a few more of 54 samples taken earlier this month.
"We have completed 80 percent of our work, including examination of samples taken from the water and sediment. Next we shall conduct tests on samples of blood, hair and the nails of Buyat residents," he said.
He said all the samples examined showed a metal pollution level that exceeded the standard set by the Office of the State Minister of the Environment through its decree No. 51/2004 on sea water pollution standards.
The decree stipulates that levels of mercury, lead, cadmium and copper in seawater shall not exceed 0.001 milligram/liter (mg/L), 0.008 mg/L, 0.001 mg/L, and 0.001 mg/L respectively.
On Saturday, National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar said the police had not yet named suspects in the case although they had confirmed that heavy metal levels in the bay exceeded tolerable limits.
Da'i said the police would coordinate with other ministries before taking further steps, including the possibility of ordering the closure of PT Newmont's operations.
National Police chief of detectives Comr. Gen. Suyitno Landung Sudjono said earlier the police would ask the U.S.-based company to suspend its operations if allegations that the company had caused the pollution were proven to be true.
Earlier he had said the police would send a letter to the firm, asking it to suspend its operations for the sake of local people's health.
Even without the request, PT Newmont would have to leave the mining site in October, when its license is due to expire.
Meanwhile, seven more Buyat residents arrived in Jakarta on Saturday to undergo laboratory tests and medication. To date, 22 residents have been to the capital since June. They made accusations that pollution resulting from mining activities had caused their ailments.
The company, however, said its tailings were safe and its own tests on 500 samples taken from Buyat Bay revealed mercury levels that were 120 times lower than the recommended standard.