Newmont to bear responsibility in environment case

Newmont Mianahasa Raya (NMR) will be responsible if its submarine waste disposal system at the Buyat bay in Bolmong regency, North Sulawesi, had caused damages to the environment. The company also pledges to involve the local staff in the study on the impact of the dumping site to the environment, Manado Pos reported on Friday.

Jainuddin Damplii, the chairman of the Commission D of the Legislative Council of the Bolmong regency, said that the Newmont commitment was made during the legislators' recent meeting with the United States-based gold mine operator.

He said that during the meeting, the company's executives denied allegations that the spread of skin disease in some villages near the dumping site and the decline in fish catches of local fishermen were caused by the tailings dumped into the bay.

"But they promise that they will be responsible if, based on a survey, the dumping site really caused pollution or other environmental damages," he added.

The government will soon establish an independent team to study the impact of the waste deposal system in a response to the public's outcries over the impact of the mine waste site to their livelihood.

Unlike the two previous independent teams, which were financed by Newmont, the new team would receive funding from the Ministry of Mines and Energy.

The previous two independent teams found conflicting results. One team said that the impact of the dumping site had exceeded the tolerable level and the other one said that it was still within the tolerable level set by the government. (*)