Freeport urged to take serious care on mineral waste

The provincial office of the agency for the industrial impact management (Bapedalda) in Irian Jaya has urged gold mining giant Freeport Indonesia to take a serious action in dealing with mineral waste (also called tailings) in the company?s mining area in Mimika regency.

The head of the agency Frans Dimara said that the tons of the tailings resulted from the processing activities in the mining giant had caused a major environmental problem in the Mimika regency.

?This condition should be stopped because it will harm the local people especially those living in Timika,? Frans said.

According to him, the tailings of the gold mining company has damaged at lest 200,000 hectares of forests in the province. (*)