This was pointed out during the Ramu project update meeting in Madang, when the company’s corporate health safety and environment (HSE) section explained its deep sea tailings placement (DSTP) awareness campaign that was conducted in schools along the Madang coast to as far as Bogia district.
Schools in Bogia covered in the programme included Bogia Admin and Bogia Catholic Primary School, Holy Spirit Secondary School and Sakarua and Kabak Primary Schools.
The Ramu project update meeting was organised by the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA).
Those who attended included Government representatives from MRA, Mineral Resources Development Company (MRDC), Treasury Department, National Apprenticeship Trade Testing Board (NATTB) Madang administration, landowner association chairmen and women representatives.
Ina statement, the company’s corporate health safety and environment section said the company was trying to help school children understand the science and technology involved in the tailings placement.
A team from Ramu NiCo health safety and environment section, community affairs and Government representatives from MRA had conducted a tailings placement awareness campaign fromlate July to early August in a number of coastal schools in Bogia district.
The topics covered included:
- DSTP operation, where
- Ramu NiCo’s environment officers explained the operational process of the tailings placement, including controls and management; and
- The management system of the tailings placement. The students were told how Ramu NiCo was monitoring and managing the discharge.
Another area covered was the monitoring update of the discharge and the students were told that it was safe to access the marine environment since the monitoring results were good.
The presentation said there was a lot of work carried out upstream in terms of neutralising the impact, taking out the solids, taking out the metals, fixing the temperature and making sure that the tailing was blended with water for minimal impact.
Ramu NiCo said several surveys and assessments by a remote operating vehicle had been done to determine what the condition of the pipeline was, and the impact the project was having on deep sea tailings disposal.
“We’ve had excellent feedback from Conservation and Environmental Protection Agency and they’re happy with Ramu NiCo’s performance and continues to be so,” the company said in a statement.
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