Press Release: June 14,
2001
Mining Watch Canada
* Mineral Policy Center USA * Mineral Policy Institute Australia
Chairperson Quits Over River Pollution at Placer Domes Porgera Mine in
Papua New Guinea
Environment Groups Renew Call on Placer Dome to Commit to Ending the Practice
of Dumping Mine Waste Into Rivers
Yati Bun, Chair of Placer Domes Porgera Environmental Advisory Komiti
(PEAK) resigned over Placer Domes misuse of him in its propaganda
materials and lack of action in the cleanup of river pollution from the
companys Porgera Mine.
In his resignation letter Mr. Bun sharply criticized Placer Dome for failing
to implement recommendations aimed at mitigating the impacts of mine waste disposal
into the Strickland River at Placers Porgera mine in Papua New Guinea.
At the Porgera Mine, Placer Dome dumps mine waste directly into the Strickland
River, a practice that is illegal in most developed countries.
Placer Dome has disposed of mine tailings and overburden into the Strickland
River system in Papua New Guinea since 1992. After numerous complaints by local
villagers and Papua New Guinea environmental groups, and following a 1995 scientific
study published by Australias Mineral Policy Institute indicating serious
environmental problems, the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial
Research Organization (CSIRO) conducted a thorough study of the impacts of riverine
disposal at the mine managed by Placer Dome.
Placer Dome created a multi-stakeholder committee called PEAK that was to oversee
the implementation of the CSIRO recommendations. In his resignation letter PEAKs
most recent Chairman, Yati Bun, accused the company of using him in propaganda
materials while doing nothing to mitigate the impacts of their disposal
on the Strickland River:
Placer has now had four years to carry out these studies and implement
their recommendations, yet nothing has changed from the situation in 1996 when
the CSIRO report was started said Mr Bun's letter.
Buns resignation
was sparked by Placers unauthorized use of his name in publicity materials:
My conscience cannot
tolerate being involved any longer with the PEAK process of expediting the continuation
of riverine discharge, as when the history of Porgera is written I do not wish
to be the one that oversaw Porgeras impacts and did nothing continued
Mr Bun's letter. Bun (MSc.) is the highly respected Executive Director of Foundation
for People and Community Development in Papua New Guinea.
The 1996 CSIRO report found
that: particulate metals are steadily increasing and may now exceed concentrations
that have been shown elsewhere to have long term ecosystem effects. The
report also found that fish populations in the upper river system have
been in decline since 1993. CSIRO made numerous recommendations including
that tailings solids and waste rock be stored on-site.
International groups including Mining Watch Canada, Mineral Policy Center, and
Mineral Policy Institute have called on Placer Dome and other mining companies
to commit to ending the practice of riverine waste disposal, a practice that
can not be justified as environmentally acceptable.
Placer Domes use of a major river system in Papua New Guinea to dispose
of its mine waste that contains metals and extraction reagents has been controversial
since it began.
Riverine disposal was already an anachronism in 1992 says Dr. Catherine
Coumans of MiningWatch Canada,
Placer Dome knows
that they would never have been allowed to do this in Canada, yet Placer Dome
refuses to renounce the practice. Ms. Coumans added:
Does Placer Dome want to wait until the crisis at the Porgera mine reaches
the proportions of Ok Tedi, or will the company take heed of the impending crisis
signaled by the resignation of Yati Bun and implement the CSIRO recommendations
without further delay?
Stephen DEsposito, President of Mineral Policy Center in Washington D.C.,
called on Placer Dome to address the problems at Porgera and commit to ending
the practice of riverine waste disposal.
Placer Dome claims to follow the same high environmental standards wherever
it mines, unfortunately its actions dont yet match its words. Placer Dome
must implement cleanup measures at the Porgera Mine and commit to end this practice
in the future said Mr D'Esposito
With every passing day the area affected by mine waste dumped by Porgera
into the Strickland River grows wider says Geoff Evans, Director of the
Mineral Policy Institute in Sydney, Australia.
Riverwater carrying mine waste now continuously feeds into Lake Murray, the
largest freshwater lake in Papua.
Communities down the length of the Strickland and at Lake Murray are speaking
out in anger, and have a right to pure water and fair treatment by Placer,
he concluded.
A Background Factsheet and
Yati Buns resignation letter are also available. Please contact MWC, MPC
or MPI.
For more information contact:
Catherine Coumans, MiningWatch Canada: +1 613-569-3439 ; +1 613-256-8331
Stephen DEsposito,
MPC: +1 202-887-1872 x203 or +1 202-422-8991
Simon Divecha, Mineral
Policy Institute, +61 (2) 9387 5549 or 0428-77-5540
Simon Divecha, Campaign
Coordinator, Mineral Policy Institute
ICQ# 39251613;
Web: http://www.mpi.org.au
Email: advocacy@mpi.org.au
Phone: +61 (2) 9387 5540
Fax: +61 (2) 9386 1497
Mobile 0428 77 5540
Post: PO Box 21, Bondi Junction, Sydney, NSW 2022, Australia
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