Newmont, Walhi agree to verify cyanide study

Newmont, Walhi agree to verify cyanide study

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Gold mining firm Newmont Minahasa Raya (NMR) and the Indonesian
Forum for the Environment (Walhi) agreed on Thursday to verify
the latter's study, which revealed that the cyanide in the mining
company's tailings exceeded the safe level set by the government.

NMR external relations manager Christian E. David Sompie said
that verification by an independent party was important to prove
whether Walhi's study was reliable.

"It's good development if the study can be verified. We
believe that if there is a good intention, there will be a
solution," he said, adding that the verification should have been
conducted by the now defunct Environmental Impact Management
Agency (Bapedal).

Sompie insisted that the volume of cyanide in NMR tailings was
still below the level set by the government. He said that as of
2002, free cyanide measured at 0.02 milligrams per liter, while
weak acid dissociable cyanide was between 0.2 and 0.48, both
below the government limit of 0.5.

Cyanide is used to extract gold from crushed ore. Aside from
cyanide, mercury can also be used in this process.

NMR has operated its gold mine in the North Sulawesi village
of Ratatotok in Belang subdistrict, Minahasa regency, since 1996.
The mine plans to close its operation later this year, but must
monitor its mining closure for the next three years.

Separately, Walhi executive director Longgena Ginting said
Walhi was also prepared to verify its study with an independent
team.

"Verification of our findings from an independent team is what
we need. We don't want to see people suffer from health problems
and environmental damage after NMR leaves the mine," he said.

Walhi announced on Wednesday its study on NMR tailings,
reporting that the tailings contained four times the government-
allowed level of cyanide, endangering the health of local
residents and the surrounding environment.

The study, which was made in June 2001 and in January 2002,
also stated that the high levels of cyanide and other chemicals
-- mercury, cadmium and arsenic -- in Buyat Bay had reduced the
catch of local fishermen.

Locals had also begun to suffer health problems, mostly brain
damage and spasms, the study said.

The study also claimed that NMR's tailings pipeline was prone
to leakage, saying that four leaks had occurred in the last seven
years.

Commenting on Walhi's study, Sompie raised several questions
including on the location where the cyanide was found, the
distribution of health problems and the credibility of the
laboratory that analyzed Walhi's study.

For example, he said, local people could suffer health
problems, but it should be further traced to see whether or not
the problem was widespread due to NMR's tailings.

"I have lived there for about nine years. So far, I found one
or two local families who have claimed that they have contracted
diseases from the tailings. But most of them didn't claim this,"
he said.