Papua New Guinea's MADANG Governor Peter Yama, has called on the Government to shut down the Ramu nickel mine in Madang as it does not meet international best safety standards.
Yama made the call during debate in parliament in response to a statement by Environment and Conservation Minister Geoffery Kama in relation to the slurry spillage into the seas of Basamuk Bay in the Madang on Aug 23.
Yama claimed statement was misleading as an independent scientific investigation carried out had indicated that the sea around the Ramu Nico refinery was polluted.
He said over the 19 years of operations, the company had made billions but had not been paying its fair share of taxes to the Government and had not changed the lives of the landowners but had negatively impacted the environment and the lives of the people.
The Governor said so far marine life had been killed and that include the evidence of dead fish being washed ashore.
Yama said apart from marine life, food crops had also been affected.
Yama said lives had been affected with two people reportedly dead after consuming contaminated fish. Their bodies were at the Modilon General Hospital awaiting post-mortems.
“Prime minister and deputy prime minister, you have to close the mine in the interest of the people,” Yama said.
“Tell them to pack up and leave and let the government take-over.”
He said Justice David Cannings in the National Court in 2002 had ordered the Conservation Environment Protection Authority to supply reports four times annually on the environmental assessment.
But he said they had never done that. Yama called on the prime minister and his deputy to visit Madang and see for themselves and hear the people’s concerns.
Rai Coast MP Peter Sapia supported the governors call for the closure of the mine.
Sapia claimed the mine had not brought any tangible development to his district and there was no need to allow it to continue to destroy the environment and the lives of the people. The National/PMW
Next : PNG CEPA says Madang Waters Ok to Use
Yama made the call during debate in parliament in response to a statement by Environment and Conservation Minister Geoffery Kama in relation to the slurry spillage into the seas of Basamuk Bay in the Madang on Aug 23.
Yama claimed statement was misleading as an independent scientific investigation carried out had indicated that the sea around the Ramu Nico refinery was polluted.
He said over the 19 years of operations, the company had made billions but had not been paying its fair share of taxes to the Government and had not changed the lives of the landowners but had negatively impacted the environment and the lives of the people.
The Governor said so far marine life had been killed and that include the evidence of dead fish being washed ashore.
Yama said apart from marine life, food crops had also been affected.
Yama said lives had been affected with two people reportedly dead after consuming contaminated fish. Their bodies were at the Modilon General Hospital awaiting post-mortems.
“Prime minister and deputy prime minister, you have to close the mine in the interest of the people,” Yama said.
“Tell them to pack up and leave and let the government take-over.”
He said Justice David Cannings in the National Court in 2002 had ordered the Conservation Environment Protection Authority to supply reports four times annually on the environmental assessment.
But he said they had never done that. Yama called on the prime minister and his deputy to visit Madang and see for themselves and hear the people’s concerns.
Rai Coast MP Peter Sapia supported the governors call for the closure of the mine.
Sapia claimed the mine had not brought any tangible development to his district and there was no need to allow it to continue to destroy the environment and the lives of the people. The National/PMW
Next : PNG CEPA says Madang Waters Ok to Use