Stop pollution, Freeport told

Stop pollution, Freeport told

Fak-Fak, Irian Jaya: The local administration has urged the PT
Freeport mining company to stop polluting the Aikwa River, which
it claims has contributed to the destruction of 3,000 ha of
forest.

Deputy chair of the legislative council of Fak-Fak, Heri
Soedeno, told Antara yesterday that the river had been
overflowing because of the piling up of the company's waste in
some parts of the river.

"The forest destruction is not directly caused by the
pollution, but it's the overflowing of the river which has been
damaging the forest," Soedeno said.

The company runs a mill to process copper ore in the upper
course of the Otomona River. Its waste, in the form of soil, sand
and small rocks, which reportedly reaches some 70,000 tons per
day, is dumped in the river and is carried to the Aikwa River.
(swe)