7 gold, coal mines to be closed amid lack of rules on mining closure

Amidst lacking of government regulations on mining closure, seven gold and coal mining operations will soon be closed because their contract period will soon expire or their mineral reserves has been depleted, according to Elly Rasdiani from Eco Bumi.

Elly revealed on Tuesday that the seven gold miners that would close its operation included PT BHP Kendilo Coal (East Kalimantan), Barisan Tropical Mining (gold mining in South Sumatra), Indomuro Kencana subsidiary of Aurora Gold (gold mining in South Kalimantan), Kelian Equatorial Mine (gold mining in East Kalimantan), Newmont Minahasa Raya (gold mining in North Sulawesi), PT Nusa Halmahera Minerals, Gosowong, subsidiary of Newcrest (gold mining in Halmahera) and Prima Lirang Mining (gold mining in Wetar, East Nusa Tenggara).

Meanwhile, the head of the environmental office at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, S. Witoro, confirmed about the planned closure of the seven mining operations. He noted that the closure was expected to be materialized in year 2003.

Elly called on the government, legislators and the people to pay attention to the planned mining closure, otherwise, it would endanger the environment.

"If we neglect it, it will have negative impacts, not only to the employment opportunities, but also to the environment," Elly said.

Elly noted that mining companies normally just left their mining operations when the minerals had been emptied. Such an attitude would surely endanger the environment, and also the lives of local people.

Such irresponsible practices continued to happen in the country because the government had not yet produced any regulations on mining closure, Elly said.

''Consequently, miners tended not to pay attention to the environmental impacts of mining closure," Elly said.

To cite an example, Elly said the Bangka Belitung islands suffered environmental destruction after miners left the islands.

"We don't want that happening to happen again in the future," Elly said.

S. Witoro shared with Elly's argument and called on the seven mining companies to make early preparations for the closure of their mining operations although there had no regulations on mining closure yet.

He noted that the government was drafting a bill on mining closure, to anticipate more mining closures in the future, protect the environment and the economies of local people. (*)