Newmont Nusa Tenggara accused of dumping tailings into sea

Members of the legislative council of West Nusa Tenggara province have accused copper and gold company PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara of dumping about 110,000 tons of mineral waste or tailings into the nearby sea without a proper permit.

Ro?i Arsyadi, the spokesman for the legislative members said in Mataram on Tuesday that the company had dumped the mineral waste into the sea although the American mining giant had yet received a permit from the related government agency to operate its undersea dumping ground.

He said that the dumping of the tailings into the sea should be investigated although the company had repeatedly denied the accusation.

?It is a pity that the company did not heed the call for the investigation although the local residents continued to complain about the tailings,? he was quoted as saying by Antara news agency.

The provincial administration is preparing a regulation on the imposition of distribution fees for industrial waste. With the implementation of the autonomy law, the local administration will be responsible for the issuance of an industrial dumping permit in the province. (*)