Analysts call for stricter requirement for mining operations

Several analysts in North Sulawesi dismissed on Thursday the call for closure of all mining operations in the province, saying mining operation might continued provided that the local government imposed tighter requirements on them.

Marine biologist of Manado's Sam Ratulangi University Lucky Lumingas and Boyke Toloh said separately the government should review all the permits held by all mining operators in the province as well as the technical requirements imposed on them to ensure that they would not cause environmental troubles with their mercury waste.

They made the statement amid growing concern about mercury poisoning in the province.

Earlier, marine biologist of the same university Janny Dirk Kusen said the closure of all mining operations is the best solution to save all the province's people from mercury poisoning threat.

Lumingas and Toloh noted that tighter requirements would not guarantee that the province would be totally free from mercury waste.

"The (environment) impact will remain, however small. All activities that exploit the nature will certainly have an impact (on the environment). The point is how to minimize the impact," Lumingas was quoted by Manado Post as saying.

Lumingas said modern mining operation, such as the one being carried out by gold company PT Newmont Minahasa Raya, could still pose threat to people despite the fact that the company disposed of its tailing into the sea.

"The depth of the water into which companies like Newmont dispose their tailings should be more than 200 meters," Lumingas said, referring to mining operations in Britain.

However he said, Newmont's mining operation was not worrisome compared to the illegal mining operations.

"The biggest (mercury) threat comes from the illegal miners. Aside from the fact they are large in number, their waste disposal process is uncontrolled," Lumigas said. (*)