Newmont tailing probably pollutes environment

The results of the environmental audit by the joint team comprising officials of the North Sulawesi provincial administration, council and gold mining company PT Newmont Minahasa Raya revealed that the allegation that Newmont's tailings polluted the environment, especially the waters south of Minahasa regency, was "probably positive" Manado Post reported.

The paper quoted head of the province's environmental impact supervision body (Bapedalda) SA Kindangen as saying on Monday that the joint team had conducted the audit at the state-owned environmental impact laboratory in Serpong, West Java for three months.

Kindangen noted the provincial administration had no single intention to close down the mining operation of the company despite that the results of the audit.

What the provincial administration and Bapedalda would do was to push the company to modify its waste treatment system, Kindangen said.

"If the pollution is proved true and Newmont is closed down, you know better (the consequences). Aside from (the fact that the province will get lower) earnings, what will happen to the hundreds of workers there? Who is going to feed them and their families?" Kindangen said.

Kindangen called on Newmont to prepare some "recommendations" in response to the audit results. (*)