The truth about the

The truth about the
Buyat Bay incident

Having read various articles and reports published recently in
several mass media including The Jakarta Post about the Buyat Bay
incident in which mining company PT Newmont was involved, I would
like to present some facts pertaining to the matter.

No modern gold processing outfit uses mercury. It may have
been used by old Dutch companies before World War II in the Dutch
East Indies but technology and environmental awareness would
prohibit companies to operate an amalgamation process with
mercury. Instead, companies use the cyanidization process to
extract the gold from the pulverized rock and the tailings
(pulverized carbonaceous rock), after which the cyanide is
detoxified in a process that breaks up the compound before it is
discharged back into nature. In Newmont's case, the detoxified
cyanide residue is piped to a depth of 80 meters below the ocean
and rests on the bottom of a submarine ravine.

All gold mineralization in nature may have traces of Hg
(mercury) sulfides along with traces of arsenic, silver, copper
and other elements. They come in small amounts and when it is
efficient they will be processed as by-products.

It is important to note these metals in nature, due to their
small traces, if swallowed, will do no harm to humans for the
reason that they remain stable.

It has been observed long before Newmont's operation (article
from the Journal of Geochemical Exploration No. 50, 1994, page
493-500) by Laurence P. James on his paper issued on Sept. 16,
1993, that the use of the "Tromol-mill by small-scale miners
became a possible environmental concern." He estimated that for
the treatment of 100,000 tons or ore annually, in six runs per 24
hours, 300 days per year, at least five to 10 tons of mercury is
lost and disposed into the open water system. This metallic
mercury which is in itself highly toxic, is also converted by
micro-organisms and plankton to the even more toxic organic
methyl mercury. This has the potential to pollute the environment
in gold districts all over Indonesia.

I would sincerely appeal to all concerned to abandon the free
trade of mercury, which is often used for gold mining. The
importation of mercury should only be for industrial purposes,
and well-controlled by the government.

B.N. WAHJU
Geologist
Jakarta