By Online Editor

An NGO activist in the country has called for a total ban on the Deep Sea Tailing Placement system by mining companies operating in Papua New Guinea.

Theresa Kas, Coordinator of The Nature Conservancy, an NGO that works closely with the local people in protecting their environment, said this last week in Madang whilst expressing her views on the use of the Deep Sea Tailing Placement system used by certain mining companies operating in the country, including Madang- based Ramu Nickel mine, Lihir, Simberi and Misima.

Kas described the DSTP which Ramu Nickel Mine is using to dispose its mine wastes into the Basamuk Bay, as ‘a long term death sentence’ for the people of Madang Province and Papua New Guinea as a whole.

She said the government has imposed a long term death sentence on its own people by allowing through the law mining companies to dump their wastes into our ocean and river systems.

Kas went on to say that the laws of Papua New Guinea are contradicting themselves, in that whilst there are bylaws protecting the environment, there are also provisions that allow for destructions.

She further elaborated that the tide in the Bismarck Sea is very strong and can carry poison as far as New Ireland and even the Solomon Islands, and therefore DSTP must be stopped and should never be allowed in any mine at all in the country.

Meanwhile, the PNG Constitutional and Law Reform Commission has called on stakeholders in the Islands region to participate in the review of environmental and mining laws relating to management and disposal of tailings or mining waste.

A team from the CLRC made this call in Kokopo, East New Britain on Wednesday.

It is understood CLRC was now consulting with relevant stakeholders, including the department of environment and conservation, mining, petroleum and energy, the chamber of mines and other industry groups.

CLRC on Wednesday urged people and stakeholders in NGI region to state their views on the current state of waste management and disposal of tailings and make proposals for change.

The call was made especially to those stakeholders with various concerns living in the mine tailings disposal areas, including water-ways and coastal areas over mining waste management and disposal into the environment and the consequential harm to the environment.

It is understood that there has been recent concerns and reports on the high toxicity levels of hazardous chemicals and heavy metal traces which have been found to occur in the sample of population in mining waste disposal areas throughout the country and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

CLRC also highlighted in Kokopo that there was a need to systemically and properly consider the concerns raised by indigenous citizens and consider corrective measures.

While mining is one of the most important economic sectors in PNG, it also causes negative impacts on the environment.