Not a catastrophe

I am responding to Andrew Tigg's letter which appeared in this newspaper on March 2. I have dedicated most of the last eight years of my life developing and managing Freeport's environmental program, which is not a "catastrophe."

There are 154 good people working in our environmental department which is the largest by far of any mine in the world. We also have over 200 employees who work on tailings management and more than 500 people who work on public health and community development activities. We also have hundreds of university, consulting and non-governmental organization (NGO) experts who work with us.

We are a large mine and like all copper and gold mines have significant impacts which are very visible. These impacts were presented and discussed extensively in our Regional ANDAL environment impact studies, then alternative management and monitoring systems were studied and discussed by 18 government agencies and six NGOs.

We even completed 42 supporting studies by the best experts we could find and held five voluntary workshops open to stakeholders on overburden, tailings, glacier, biodiversity and social issues.

We operate our mine above the tree line in a harsh remote environment. We get 15 meters of rain per year in a seismic active area with landslides and floods. There are no possible places in the highlands where tailings can be managed.

Offshore disposal is also not possible as the Arafura sea is too shallow and impacts would not be acceptable. PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) has completed seven technical studies on tailings and had two independent audits review these studies and our management efforts.

All experts have recommended the current in-river with east and west levee containment. PTFI has retained a back-up onland disposal pipeline option pending the results of an Environmental Risk Assessment process to be completed by the end of next year.

Mining a three billion-ton ore body has big impacts. We have demonstrated that long-term reclamation of the impacted areas, especially tailings, will be very productive and a key part of sustainable development for Timika. We can grow native forest trees, sago, fruit trees, vegetables, pineapples and much, much more.

I left Freeport for one year (last year) and worked for another mining company in Arizona, the United States. The company was about the same size as Freeport; it had 16 environmental employees and no public health or community development employees or activities. These activities were the responsibility of the local community and the government.

Both Freeport and this Arizona company paid about the same amount in taxes. Freeport accepts that they must help with community development but where is the line between what a company should do and what a government must do?

We take advice from many people including Henry Kissinger and Andrew Tigg. Sometimes it is unfair and hurts, but I want to assure your readers that there are many very good and dedicated people working at Freeport and stories from friends who have worked at Freeport, and current coverage by the media doesn't always get the full story.

We welcome the fact finding team being organized by five ministers and hope it will bring better understanding to these important and complex issues.

BRUCE E.MARSH

PT Freeport Indonesia

Vice President,

Environmental Affairs