Freeport told to improve environmental controls at Papua mine

Government Thursday threatened legal action against U.S. mining giant Freeport unless the company improved the environmental record of its massive gold mine in Papua province, agency report.

Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar said that the mine was "required to improve the management" of waste from the mine, known as tailings, to "minimize the effect on the environment."

He said there were fears the tailings could start piling up and possibly trigger landslides or flooding.

"We will give them a reasonable amount of time .... between two and three years," Rachmat said.

He said that if the problems remained unresolved then his ministry would file a lawsuit against the mine, which is operated by owned by a local unit of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.

Rachmat made the declaration after receiving a report by a team of independent experts tasked with assessing whether the mine was damaging the environment.

He said the mine had committed various violations, of which the tailing issues was the most pressing. (*)