KEM denies reports on toxic water from dam
Friday, May 17 2002 - 03:43 AM WIB
KEM?s communications manager Kasan Mulyono told the newspaper on Thursday they had monitored the condition of their waste at their waste treatment dam on a daily basis. The dam is located in a village in West Kutai Regency.
?Their charges are groundless. Fish still can live in River Mahakam because the water flowing to it from the dam had been treated and was not toxic,? Kasan said.
A local foundation concerned with environment preservation (YLBBPJ) said earlier KEM had dumped toxic water into its waste treatment dam, from its gold ore processing plant.
Foundation chairman Rudi Ranaq asked the local government to examine the dam water which flowed to area rivers.
KEM, owned by Anglo-Australia?s mining giant Rio Tinto, will end its mining operation in West Kutai in 2004 due to gold reserve depletion.
The firm currently produces 13-14 tons of gold annually. (*)