Newmont denies Walhi's charges

Copper and gold mining company PT Newmont Nusatenggara denied the charges of noted environmental group Indonesian Forum for Environment (Walhi) that the company's tailing had polluted the Senunu gulf in Sumbawa, West Nusatenggara and the pollution could lead to an ethnic killing (genocide) of the Sumbawa tribes people.

Company public relation superintendent T Iradati Fuad said in the West Nusatenggara provincial capital of Mataram on Wednesday that the charges were "irresponsible and baseless", Tempo Interaktif reported.

Iradati asked Walhi to transparently reveal to the public its research methodology and results, rather than only launching criticism.

The baseless charge indicated Walhi's irresponsibility, Iradati said, adding Walhi should provide data for independent experts to verify.

Walhi earlier said in a press release that the tailing dumped by Newmont into the Senunu gulf was hazardous to the environment. It said the tailing contained metal elements including arsenic, barium, cadmium, copper, selenium, silver and lead.

According to Walhi, Newmont disposes of 120,000 metric tons per day or a total of 1,045 billion tons of tailing at the end of its operation into the bottom of the gulf waters. The tailing would trouble the area's marine ecosystem, kill fish and silt up the gulf.

Iradati said Newmont was against any human rights violations. As such, it was impossible for the company to operate in contravention of the humanity rules, above all to commit genocide.

She said thus far chemical elements at the Senunu gulf were still below the tolerable level. (*)