Freeport's tailings feared to affect Lorentz conservation area

The mineral waste of the tailing dumped by copper and gold miner PT. Freeport Indonesia into the rivers near the company's gold mining sites in Papua could affect the Lorentz National Park, one of the Indonesian important forest conservation areas, Koran Tempo reported on Saturday.

Liaison officer of the World Wildlife Fund for Lorentz National Park, Linus Karubun, said in Jakarta on Friday that the 2.1 million-hectare Larentz conservation which is located near Freeport's waste disposal area could be affected by the increase in the volume of mineral waste or tailing from the company's mining site.

"We are worried that the dam built by Freeport to protect the conservation area from the mineral waste would no longer be able to hold the tailings dumped by the company," he said.

According to him, the mineral waste could enter the conservation areas through smaller rivers linked with Aghwagon, Otonoma and Ajkwa rivers where Freeport dumped its mineral waste.

"If the company expands its production activities, the volume of the tailings would further increase. The Lorentz Park will be affected," he added.

The office of the state minister of environment has accused Freeport Indonesia of having no proper license for the operation of its tailing dumping ground into the Aghwagon, Otonoma and Ajkwa rivers.

Freeport has claimed that the company had received an approval from the local governments both from the provincial administration of Papua and the Mimika regency to dump its tailing into the rivers. (*)