Ministry promises to shut down polluting mining firms

The government would not hesitate to shut down mining companies which cause pollution provided that there are valid evidences for the accusation, director general of geology and mineral resources at the ministry of energy and mineral resources Wimpy S. Tjetjep said.

Wimpy said the problem thus far was that there was no "qualitative" data to support the pollution charges launched against many mining companies.

"If there are qualitative data and are recognized by the environmental experts, why don't we just follow them. We have to see if the mining operation bring more benefits or more destruction," Wimpy was quoted by online news provider Astaga.Com as saying on Wednesday after the ceremony to hand over mining data to the West Nusa Tenggara provincial administration in the provincial capital of Mataram.

He acknowledged that many parties, including non-governmental organizations, talked about the impacts of mining waste, but they had no supporting data that could be used by the government to take actions against the mining companies.

Speaking on the tailing disposed by copper and gold mining company PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara, Wimpie said the company disposed its tailing four kilometers under the sea level, where no biota live.

The disposal of tailing into the sea, Wimpie said, had not caused much toxic waste, but the more important was that there should be qualitative data to support any claim that the tailing disposal caused any pollution.

"If we have to be fair, the farming activities have caused more pollution, especially from fertilizers as they contain dangerous substance, but the fertilizers are needed by the farmers," he said.

Therefore, he called on all parties to see things proportionally, including the problem of tailing. If the mining activities in West Nusa Tenggara brought more benefits, then the controversy over issue of tailing should be minimized.

"If necessary, we can ask the people's opinion, whether they accept mining operation in their areas or not, so that there would be no more controversies, because there are many parties claiming that mining operation have produced only waste, but they do not have the valid data," he said.

Newmont Nusa Tenggara, which is the subsidiary of the United States-based Newmont Corp, operates a huge copper and gold mine in Batu Hijau, Sumbawa Island. (*)