Govt may ask for $700 million from Newmont

The government will possibly demand up to US$700 million in compensation from mining firm PT Newmont Minahasa Raya in a civil suit it will file next week over alleged pollution to Buyat Bay in North Sulawesi, The Jakarta Post newspaper reported in its Thursday edition.

Sudarsono, deputy for legal affairs at the Office of the State Minister for the Environment, said on Wednesday that the amount was still an estimate based on previous environmental cases involving mining operations.

The compensation, he added, was to cover existing and potential damages Newmont could have caused during its operation in Buyat Bay, such as water pollution, ecosystem destruction, and economic impacts on local residents. (*)