Newmont to be summoned over Buyat Bay pollution

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.