Newmont dumping site causes pollution

Tuesday, June 13 2000 - 03:30 AM WIB

The waste disposal system of PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara (NNT) in the Alas strait has caused pollution to the local sea, threatening the lives of the local fishermen living the coastal area in the eastern part of the province, Bali Post reported on Tuesday.

Lalu Mukarrap of the Marine Exploitation Forum said that the level of the toxic substances in the mineral tailings dumped by the United States-based gold mining operator into the Alas strait had exceeded the tolerable level set by the government.

According to a survey made by the University of Mataram in cooperation with the Asian Development Bank, the dumping site will not only threaten the lives of the fishermen but will also result in a potential loss of Rp 970 billion in 30 years due to a continued decline in their fishing catches, he said.

Newmont, which operates a large gold mining site in Batuhijau in the regency of Sumbawa, dumps its mineral waste, mostly tailing, into the sea in the Alas strait through a special technology to reduce the pollution impact to the environment.

But the dumping system has been widely criticized as the people fear that it would harm the livelihood of the local fishermen who mostly rely much on fishing to survive.(*)

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