MCC & Highlands Pacific admit sea dumping
19 February 2011
THE ENGINEER RESPONSIBLE for the marine mine waste dumping pipeline at the Ramu nickel mine in Papua Guinea, Dr George Shou, has admitted under cross examination, that the pipeline has been used to dump nickel ore in the ocean.
This dumping has occurred despite the fact landowners from along the coast where the dumping occurred had a temporary court injunction preventing MCC and Highlands Pacific, the mine’s owners, from using the pipeline to dump toxic materials into the sea.
The untreated nickel ore which dumped into the sea despite the court injunction, contains heavy metals which are toxic to marine life.
The judge hearing the court case granted leave for the landowners to file a motion charging the mine owners with contempt of court over the dumping.
The mine owners are already facing another contempt of court hearing over allegations they threatened and intimidated plaintiffs to give up their court battle.
In other evidence this week, Stuart Jones, a mining consultant who prepared the original environmental plan for the Ramu mine in 1999, admitted under cross examination that other mines in PNG with higher rainfall patterns and similar earthquake vulnerability are operating land-based tailings management systems despite his claims these factors made a land based system for the Ramu mine unfeasible.
Jones admitted he has been involved in planning for the Frieda river mine which will use a land-based system despite having an annual rainfall more than twice as high as that at the Ramu mine site.
Source: http://ramumine.wordpress.com
We continue to allow our country to be robbed of its resources and quite frankly raped.
Tiffany Nonggorr rocks. But surely there must be some PNGeans working together with her, somebody?
The World Bank has financial interests. The EU has development interests. Somehow in PNG we like to separate the two.
In an agriculture based country, is this a case of not spreading the manure well? As every good farmer knows, that's a recipe for disaster.
Posted by: Icarus | 25 February 2011 at 08:58 AM
The World Bank is funding the interests of MCC and the PNG government against the landowners. The European Union pulled out and refused to supply funding.
http://indigenouspeoplesissues.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9089%3Apapua-new-guinea-world-bank-backs-marine-dumping-of-mine-waste-in-papua-new-guinea&catid=58%3Aoceania-indigenous-peoples&Itemid=80
Posted by: Lydia Kailap | 24 February 2011 at 10:00 AM
Three cheers for our intrepid lawyer, Tiffany Nonggorr, for her brave efforts as she is a true champion of the people.
I have great admiration for this great Australian with a very big heart for PNG.
Come to think of it, PNG Attitude, ACT NOW, Resolution Report and other readers have made mention of Tiffany's exploits of late.
More needs to be told about what she has been doing so far as the PNG government will rue the day they ignored her efforts to defend resource owners rights (concerned for future environmental damage).
PNGeans needs to know what this brave lawyer is doing amidst threats to stop her.
It is a shame that no PNG lawyer is taking up this great challenge to protect our people's rights and resources from future environmental degradation.
Tiffany now stands between big business, special interests and a bad big brother and the little people who own the land and resources in Madang.
Keep up the great work, Tiffany. We are all behind you.
Posted by: Reginald Renagi | 24 February 2011 at 08:50 AM
This case is a true David and Goliath battle.
MCC and Highlands Pacific have a whole heap of imported lawyers defending their outrageous actions.
The landowners (over 1000 plaintiffs) are represented by one lady lawyer, Tiffany Nonggorr who lives in PNG.
I have been avidly following the court hearing over the past couple of weeks.
The case for MCC and Highlands Pacific is so weak that their lead lawyer, Charles Scerri QC, has had to resort to using demeaning and sexist comments about Tiffany in an attempt to rattle her.
If he tried that in an Australian courtroom he would probably be warned off; but once again anything goes in PNG.
What a shameful display by an Australian lawyer.
Posted by: Lydia Kailap | 23 February 2011 at 01:32 PM