Mining company Chairman, Ken MacDonald, has gone on the record with some very controversial and potentially misleading claims about the Ramu nickel mine in Papua New Guinea and its plans to dump millions of tons of waste into the sea.

In a radio interview broadcast last Friday in Australia, MacDonald said the waste from the mine will not be toxic. 

This is refuted by mining experts and marine scientists.

They say that the quantity of mine waste that will be dumped can be very harmful to marine life where the dumping occurs, regardless it's composition, and that the waste will contain arsenic, ammonia and other heavy metals which are all poisons.

Mr MacDonald also said the vast majority of local people "are very happy" with the mine. 

But there is no known evidence to support this claim and there is no evidence that local people support the marine waste dumping plans.

Indeed, the rightful landowners who will suffer loss and inconvenience from the mine operations have never been correctly identified and have never given their free informed consent to the mine operations.

There are also nearly 100 local landowners, many of whom are leaders within their communities, who are challenging the waste dumping plans through a court action. They currently have a legal injunction which stops the mine from dumping any waste into the sea.

Mr MacDonald in his interview was also incorrect in stating that ACT NOW! had not spoken to staff in the Highlands Pacific office before attempting to deliver copies of 500 protest letters to the company.

This is refuted by volunteers who say they have plenty of witnesses to their phone conversation with office staff on the day before their visit.