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)