RAMU NiCo Management (MCC) Ltd, which manages the US$2.1 billion nickel/cobalt project in Madang, dismissed claims of gas pollution at its Basamuk refinery last month.
Landowners living near the Basamuk refinery claimed there had been unknown an gas leak from the refinery’s acid tank which was affecting food crops and plants in the area.
Spokesman Terry Kuning said that happened after an explosion at the refinery in the early hours of a Monday morning last month.
He said on the February 17, an unusual thick white smoke had advanced, via strong winds, southwards towards Mindre and Dein villages.
Kuning said what remained in its path was causing much damage on garden food crops and plants.
When queried yesterday, MCC yesterday denied any pollution at its Basamuk Refinery last month.
The company expressed concern about the manner in which certain media organisations had published reports and allegations.
In a statement, MCC said: “The company has its monitoring mechanism in place, both under its operation environment management plan (OEMP) and daily monitoring.
“In the event that any environment issues arise, the company’s health, safety and environment (HSE) and community affairs (CA) staff are informed so investigations are immediately conducted.” The National