Sustainable development taking root in mining sector

Sudibyo M. Wiradji, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government has introduced a strict regulation to ensure that the operation of natural resource-based companies such as oil and gas producers and mining companies would not cause a serious damage to the environment.

Although many companies operating in the mining sector have often ignored the environmental regulation and have been blamed for causing environmental destruction in their mining sites, the awareness among them has been very encouraging.

Major oil producers and mining companies have, for example, allocated a large amount of funds for reclamation or rehabilitation programs to comply with the sustainable development program introduced by the government.

PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara (PT NNT), which operates a massive gold and copper mine in Batu Hijau on Sumbawa island, spends between US$1 and $5 million on reclamation projects per year.

The reclamation funds are used mostly to finance the preparatory work for reclamation that includes re-contouring the land and developing a nursery to provide tree seedlings.

At least 50,000 tree seedlings are processed by PT NNT's nursery each year to meet the reclamation needs in the disturbed areas within the company's mining area.

Since it started operations in 1976, PT NNT has cleared some 1,400 hectares of forest area for mining, of which 630 hectares has already been reclaimed. "We implement reclamation projects as soon as possible and do not wait for mine closure," said PT NNT's environment manager Grant Battarham.

Reclamation projects started during the construction period in 1977 and will continue throughout the life of the mine and after closure, he said.

Grasses and native tree species like Rimas (Duabanga molucana), Binong (Tetrameles nudiflora) and Bungur ( Lagerstromea speosa) were planted on areas disturbed during the construction of mining company, areas no longer in use and waste rock dumps, making the areas look green.

The trees not only speed up the revegetation process but also protect the water system, contain erosion and restore wildlife habitats. "Binong trees are a safe place where endangered cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea parvula) live," Battarman said.

Based on the current Mine Plan, PT NNT will complete reclamation in 2037.

In collaboration with local and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), PT NNT is also actively engaged with rehabilitating local beaches with mangroves.

Like Newmont, gold and copper producer PT Freeport Indonesia, which operates a massive gold and copper mine in Timika, Papua, has regular reclamation and rehabilitation programs even though final closure of the overburden areas still several decades away.

Freeport has replanted on more than 69 hectares of cleared land in the highland and planted some 8,500 plant species in the tailings deposition area in 2004.

Following the success of planting 8,500 plan species, Freeport continued with its reclamation programs. It planted some 1,000 coconut trees, 900 plants of various native tree species and 1,500 casuarina trees.

Freeport spent US$72.7 million on sustainable development program in its mining operation in 2004. Part of the funds were used to finance environmental management projects that include reclamation and rehabilitation of cleared land.

To ensure that reclamation projects run effectively, Freeport conducts intensive research on the condition of the land, local plant species and ecosystems. Based on the research on the land, Freeport can determine the right reclamation programs for highland and lowland areas.

Based on the study, native bacteria is used to enhance moss establishments at the final placement areas of final overburden in the highlands. "We also use tissue culture techniques and conventional cutting methods to develop large-scale propagation that resulted in a 95 percent survival rate of 135,000 propagated plants, comprising more than 20 species of native alpine plants," said Freeport Indonesia's senior manager for corporate communication Siddharta Moersjid.

Siddharta said that reclamation programs in the lowlands were designed to transform tailings deposits in the Modified Deposit area into an agricultural or other productive land use or to return it to native vegetation after mining is completed.

"The lowlands are suitable for growing many agricultural crops, such as pineapples, melons and bananas," he said.

Vegetables and grains like chili peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, rice, string beans and pumpkins can also grow well in the lowlands, he said.

Even though the land affected by the oil operation is not as large as that by gold, copper or coal mining, oil companies like PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia (CPI) is also committed to the green environment.

Caltex, a subsidiary of U.S.-based Chevron Texaco, operates in Riau province, with 107 active oil fields and 6,569 production wells. The company's operation sites covers an area of 25,500 square meters.

Caltex rehabilitation programs focused on land disturbed by drilling activities and operating sites like gathering stations and oil processing plants.

"Each area affected by drilling activity is around 100 square meters on average but unless it is rehabilitated, it will be detrimental to the environment," said Caltex's manager for corporate communication Harry Bustaman.

Trees have been planted on former drilling areas and areas around operational sites. "With trees growing around the operation sites, employees can work more comfortably because when working outside, they can avoid heat by working under the trees," he said.

Apart from replanting projects on drilling areas and operation sites, Caltex also conducts other re-greening projects in cooperation with local forestry agency.

The seedlings were provided by local forestry agency, while local people were involved in the re-greening projects as part of its efforts to promote awareness of a green environment among the people, he said.

Tree-planting projects were implemented in several districts in the Riau province, like Rumbai, Minas, Mandau and Dumai, in conjunction with the commemoration of World Environment Day or Earth Day.

"Trees were planted on the edge of roads to prevent from the landslides when it rains," he said, adding that the tree-planting projects started 20 years ago.

Meanwhile, gold mining company Kelian Equatorial Mining (KEM), which operates in Kelian, Linggang Bingung Sub-district, Kutai Barat Regency, East Kalimantan, is currently engaged in rehabilitating former mining sites as part of its sound mine closure programs.

KEM commenced production in 1992 and ceased its production in February of this year.

KEM's ex-mine site will be converted into a protected forest and will be monitored in a comprehensive and sustainable manner, said www.keliangold.com.

KEM obtained a mining concession area of 6,670 hectares in the Kelian forest. The area affected by KEM's mining and production activities is approximately 1,192 hectares.

Up to the end of 2004, the rehabilitated area reached 1,016 ha or 85 percent of the 1,192 ha used area. Dozens of local plant species are used in the rehabilitated programs, including pioneer and primary plants, such as Meranti (Dipterocarpaceae), Ulin (Eusideroxylon zwageri), Sungkai (Peronema canescens) and Bengkirai (Shorea leavis).