Govt halts QMB nickel operations after fatal landslide

The government has halted operations at nickel processing firm PT QMB New Energy Materials after a landslide at its waste disposal area killed a contractor, the environment minister said, adding that legal proceedings against the company are under way.

Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said the government had ordered the suspension of all on-site activities and moved to revoke the company’s permits following the incident, which occurred at the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park in Central Sulawesi.

 “PT QMB is currently undergoing a criminal process. There was one fatality this time, and three last year. This is a criminal matter, and we have ordered the revocation of its approvals,” Hanif said in Jakarta on Monday, as quoted by Nikel.co.id.

The landslide, which occurred at a tailings storage area, was suspected to have been triggered by unstable soil conditions, he said, pointing to poor waste management practices as a key factor behind the incident.

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PT QMB New Energy Materials operates within the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP), a major hub for Indonesia’s nickel processing industry.

Hanif said responsibility for managing mining waste at the site would be transferred from PT QMB to the estate operator, PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park, as authorities step up oversight.

 “For waste handling, we are no longer assigning it to PT QMB, but directly to PT IMIP as the estate holder, which will now take full responsibility,” he said.

The company may reapply for permits after undergoing a comprehensive evaluation, but all activities have been halted for now, he added.

The move comes after a landslide in February at a slag storage area linked to PT QMB’s operations, part of a project involving China’s GEM Co., Ltd., which previously said the incident had only a limited impact on production and denied any risk of permit revocation.

Authorities said investigations into the latest fatality are ongoing, while supervision of waste management practices in the industrial park is being tightened.

Editing by Reiner Simanjuntak