FPD and ITB will jointly study Newmont Nusa Tenggara's operation

Non-governmental organization FPD and the Institute of Technology of Bandung will jointly study the impact of Newmont Nusa Tenggara's undersea dumping ground in the Alas Strait off the East Lombok island, Bali Pos reported on Thursday.

Lalu Makarrap, the head of the marine exploration and environment department of the non-governmental organization, said that the study would be focused not only on the impact of the dumping ground on the marine species but also its impact on environment on the land.

He said that before conducting the study, FPD and ITB would hold a seminar on the general impact of toxic mineral waste to the people, animal and plants. "After the seminar, we will carry out a detail study on the impact of the company's mineral waste," he added.

Mukarrap said that an independent study on the impact of the company's operation especially the impact of its undersea dumping site was essential because Newmont, in its internal study on the environmental impact of its mining operation, seemed to have concealed many important factors. "The analyses on the environmental impact held by Newmont seemed to have been engineered and (made) to cheat the people," he added. (*)