cyanide poisoning

Mine blamed for cyanide poisoning

Environment

Reports by Sam Vulum

About 30 villagers have either died or been hospitalised and a num ber of domesticated animals, including dogs and pigs, died in Papua New Guinea’s Eastern Highlands Province from what is alleged to be the effects of cyanide and other dangerous chemicals from a decommissioned mine.

The mine, situated on Mt Victor, is located about 20 kilometres south of Kainantu town and north of the Yonki Hydro Dam.

Although cyanide was found in the streams and creeks in the mine area, it could not be established whether the deaths of some of the villagers and ani mals were the result of drinking cyanide contaminated water.

Villagers have told government authorities that cyanide was detected inthe water by scientists from the University of Technology in Lae after tests in June.

Pacific Islands Monthly confirmed this with the university’s national analysis lab oratory last month.

However, chief chemist Fred Grieshaber could not confirm the level of cyanide found for reasons of confidential ity. However, Ben Baiyo, a senior officer with the Department of Eastern Highlands, said the reports were being treated seriously. Baiyo, who had pre pared a report for the department after vis iting the site on September 26, said they were in the process of evacuating about 5000 to 6000 people from the area. He said the site was visible from as far as 100 metres away and the smell emanating from the area could cause irritation to the eyes and nasal passage.

The controversial area covers about five square kilometres of land, starting from the base of the mountain, where the tailings dam was located and extending downwards to Iruwura, Besa, Sairoa Number One, Sairoa Number Two, Omura village, the Besa spring and Tutubirora creek.

He said the villagers were aware of the

problem in 1991 and had elected to tackle it on their own without notifying the authorities. They had gone to court but their case had been thrown out.

The provincial administrator, accom

panied by the provincial police comman

der and a medical officer, visited the site in early November to assess the situation.

Meanwhile, Niugini Mining came out publicly on November 6 refuting claims that they were responsible for the deaths and suffering of more than 30 people as

reported. Company director Gavin

Thomas, speaking from United States where the company was holding its quar terly board meeting, said his company had followed all the proper procedures in decommissioning the mine in 1991.

Thomas said his company had followed strict environmental regulations and the environmental committee was involved in the decommissioning. He said an inde pendent investigation detected no sign of residual cyanide in the area.

“We are very comfortable. We are very proud. We can stand up in any court and defend ourselves,” Thomas said.

The Mt Victor mine situation is the second case in PNG where cyanide has been blamed. The first was cited in 1994 when a barge transporting Ok Tedi Mining Limited chemicals for the Ok Tedi Mine in the Western Province overturned 15 kilometres northeast of Umuda Island in the Fly River estuary. In the incident, 27,000 60-litre drums of cyanide were lost in what was reported to be the single largest loss of the world’s most dangerous poison. It was alleged that only 117 cyanide drums were salvaged. It has never been made public whether the remaining drums were reclaimed.

In the same month, a bypass valve opened for two hours releasing 1000 cubic metres of highly concentrated cyanide waste into the Ok Tedi River, a spill that OTML was silent about for two weeks until dead fish, prawns, turtles, and crocodiles started floating downstream of the mine as far as Ningerum. ■

Goroka-based freelance journalist

John Ewande, who visited die

mine site recently gave a first-hand

description of die area as he saw it While at the site, I was taken to visit Mt Victor gold mine pit number one, pit number two, Anas garden tailing dam, Besa village spring and Tutubirora creek.

Along the road to pit number one, the grass beside the drain was drying up, the dead leaves in the drain were covered with greasy liquid and there was a smell of chemicals all along the road. I was told the chemicals had been washed down from the mountain by heavy rain water.

Arriving at pit number one, I could see a reddish-brown liquid seeping out from the sides of the mountain.

The leaks formed a stream at the base of the mountain, which ran about 50 to 100 metres and dropped into a small creek.

Further on, the creek joins the main Tutubirora creek at the foot of the moun tain.

I was told that the company drilled into the side of the mountain at several spots and injected chemicals to soften the hard rock for excavation.

However, when the mine closed down the areas were left unseaeled so the chem icals were leaking out after rain water soaked into the holes.

At the Anas Garden tailing dam site, the dam is located about three kilometres down from pit number one.

The dam was covered with earth and

boggy and some plants were growing

over it.

Walking through the bull rushes, I could see thick oily stuff floating on the water. The ponds were black and the bull rushes were drying up.

Besa village is located on the mill site and it was few metres away from the tail ing dam site.

The village’s spring was about four kilometres down from pit number one and about two kilometres down from the tail

ing dam.

The villagers used the creek for drink ing water but they claimed the cyanide was leaking out from the water hole as well. ■