Newmont's dumping site in Sumbawa needs further analyzing

The marine dumping site of PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara (NNT) in the western part of Sumbawa needs a further analyzing to ensure that its impact would not damage the environment and cause harm to the livelihood of the local people, according to the regent of East Lombok, H. Syahdan.

"Reanalyzing is necessary to reduce the public criticism against the dumping site," the regent told Bali Pos in Selong on Saturday,

The people needed to know the real condition of the gold and copper mine operator's dumping site in Maluk from a reliable source. The widespread criticism from non-governmental organizations against the dumping site should therefore be given a positive response such as by establishing an independent team to evaluate the level of alleged pollution in the seawater in the dumping site, he added.

"I don't want my people to become the victims of the toxic waste," he said.

He reminded that the reanalyzing of the dumping site should be carried out by experts in cooperation with the government-sanctioned environmental impact management agency (Bapedal) to ensure that the result of the analyses would reflect the real condition of the dumping site.

All members of the team should be independent and work for the interest of the whole people not for their sponsors or those who finance the survey to guarantee that the result of the survey would not mislead the public, he added. (*)