New team needed to study Newmont waste

North Sulawesi Governor A.J. Sondakh has proposed for the establishment of an independent team to study the pollution level of PT Newmont Minahasa Raya's submarine waste disposal system in Buyut Bay, Manado Pos reported on Tuesday.

Speaking during his inspection in the location, Sondakh said that the establishment of a new independent team was needed because the existing studies were no acceptable to all concerned parties.

He, however, said that the study should be financed by the central government to ensure the independency of the team in judging the impact of the company's waste disposal system to the environment.

Rizald M. Rompas, an expert staff of the state minister for sea exploration and fishery, said recently that the company's submarine tailing placement (STP) system still lacked safety especially after a long period of time.

Although the mercury and arsenic content at the seawater at the Teluk Buyat remained safe, the content of the hazardous substance in the tailings accumulated under the seawater had already exceeded the maximum level.

Local environment activities also charged that the river water through which the mining company transmitted its tailings, mining waste, to the bay, had been heavily contaminated. Many local people, who frequently used the river, have suffered skin diseases, they said. But the mining company denied the charge. (*)