Results of laboratory test against NNT's pollutants revealed,

The Environmental Impact Management Agency's West Nusa Tenggara chapter (Bapedalda NTB) has stated that the results of laboratory tests against tailing disposed by PT Newmont Nusa Tenggara (NNT) from its Batu Hijau mining site in Jereweh subdistrict, Subawa district, to Senunu Gulf show that the tailing disposal does not create significant pollution in the gulf.

But the results of the laboratory tests instantly draw criticism and questions from a number of environmental activities and local councilors. They believe that the tailing disposal certainly create environmental destruction and serve as a time bomb for the Senunu Gulf area.

The results of the laboratory tests over the tailing disposal were disclosed to the public by an executive of Bapedalda NTB, Drs Tjokorde Suthendra Rai, accompanied by the head of the Center for Environmental Impact Management Supports (Pusarpedal) in Serpong, West Java, Drs. M Helmy, and Bapedal director for sea and coastal pollution management Sudarjono.

They presented the results of the laboratory tests before activists, journalists, local leaders and councilors in Mataram, the capital of NTB, on Wednesday night (Dec. 13).

Based on the laboratory tests conducted in laboratories owned by Pusarpedal Serpong and PT ASL in Bogor, West Java, the parameters under study, including cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb) and copper (Cu), were all under the threshold level allowed for tailing disposal. In other words, the pollution created by the tailing disposal is still within the acceptable level set by the government.

The laboratory test for cadmium, for instance, showed that the cadmium content in the tailing disposed in the Senunu Gulf was recorded at below 0.001 ppm by ASL laboratory and below 0.002 ppm by Pusarpedal laboratory, far below the threshold of 0.01 ppm.

Chromium is recorded at 0.001 ppm by ASL, 0.004 by Pusarpedal, far below 0.05 threshold; Copper is recorded at 0.001 to 0.002 by ASL, and 0.0140 to 0.00509 by Pusarpedal, far below the allowed level of 0.06 ppm; and lead is recorded at 0.001 by ASL and 0.00255 to 0.00509 by Pusarpedal, far below the allowed level of 0.075 ppm.

Instantly after the reading of the results, activists and councilors lambasted the laboratory tests as inaccurate and not showing the real situation.

Activist Lalu Muhammad Kabut from East Lombong Area Care Forum question the method of the laboratory testing used by Pusarpedal and ASL.

Meanwhile, councilor Lalu Putradjab, secretary of Commission D at the NTB Legislative Body, said that tailing disposal in Senunu Gulf served as a time bomb because Newmont disposed 110,000 tons of tailing everyday. In the next 25 years, the tailing accumulated in the Gulf would reach 1 billion tons.

Sudarjono of Bapedal acknowledged that the sampling taken from waters around Alas Straits should be conducted regularly to show the real environmental condition in the area.

Meanwhile, Helmy of Pusarpedal Serpong said that the study was not yet final because the sea condition was so dynamic. "And therefore, this does not yet represent the real situation." (*)