BHP looks for new Ok Tedi
BHP extends exploration permit
Date 16 Dec 1999
Ok Tedi Mining, whose majority owner is BHP, is applying to the Papua New Guinea Government to extend their exploration permit. This will allow the company to continue to look for a new Ok Tedi mine around the existing Ok Tedi mine.
The current Ok Tedi mine is a recognised world scale environmental disaster. BHP has not yet found an effective away to stop the environmental damage that the mine has caused. Equally the company has yet to find a way to operate the Ok Tedi mine without all the waste from the mine ending up in the river.
"The Ok Tedi mine is still dumping 80,000 tonnes of the waste into the river every day. BHP claims that the Ok Tedi mine is not compatible with their new environmental values. Yet the company is looking for new Ok Tedi's in the same area” said Mr Simon Divecha, campaign coordinator for the Mineral Policy Institute.
"The company’s actions speak louder than its words. It says that the Ok Tedi mine should never have been opened. At the same time it plans to look for new Ok Tedi's."
"Unless and until BHP cleans up the disaster it has caused, and stops the direct dumping of waste into the river, the company should not look for new Ok Tedi's."
Papua New Guinea environmental groups are objecting to the Ok Tedi exploration licence extension.
"The Ok Tedi mine has had a devastating impact on the lives of people in Papua New Guinea. The environmental impact extends across the Fly River region and the Western Province as a whole" said Mr Wep Kanawi OBE, spokesperson of the Papua New Guinea NGO Environmental Watch Group.
"The Ok Tedi mine is causing the Southern Hemisphere's single worst environmental disaster. The damage from the mine will last for most of the 21st century. BHP must demonstrate that it is willing and able to solve existing problems so it does not create new ones."
"We are waiting for any commitment from BHP that they will look after the people and environment of the Fly River region and Western Province of Papua New Guinea for as long as the damage from Ok Tedi lasts. This commitment needs to be made before they apply for an exploration extension" concluded Mr Kanawi.
The impacts from the mine include the death of around 1000 square kilometres of rainforest, 70 to 90% fish death in the river (a major Papua New Guinea waterway), people who are dependent on the rivers and forest finding it difficult to get enough food and heavy metal pollution.
For more information and a copy of the exploration permit objection call:
The Mineral Policy Institute +61 (2) 9387 5540 Mobile: 0418 261 404
PNG Environment Watch Group +675 323 0397 (Wep Kanawi) or +675 326 2356 (Ursula Rakova)
Ok Tedi Mining, whose majority owner is BHP, is applying to the Papua New Guinea Government to extend their exploration permit. This will allow the company to continue to look for a new Ok Tedi mine around the existing Ok Tedi mine.
The current Ok Tedi mine is a recognised world scale environmental disaster. BHP has not yet found an effective away to stop the environmental damage that the mine has caused. Equally the company has yet to find a way to operate the Ok Tedi mine without all the waste from the mine ending up in the river.
"The Ok Tedi mine is still dumping 80,000 tonnes of the waste into the river every day. BHP claims that the Ok Tedi mine is not compatible with their new environmental values. Yet the company is looking for new Ok Tedi's in the same area” said Mr Simon Divecha, campaign coordinator for the Mineral Policy Institute.
"The company’s actions speak louder than its words. It says that the Ok Tedi mine should never have been opened. At the same time it plans to look for new Ok Tedi's."
"Unless and until BHP cleans up the disaster it has caused, and stops the direct dumping of waste into the river, the company should not look for new Ok Tedi's."
Papua New Guinea environmental groups are objecting to the Ok Tedi exploration licence extension.
"The Ok Tedi mine has had a devastating impact on the lives of people in Papua New Guinea. The environmental impact extends across the Fly River region and the Western Province as a whole" said Mr Wep Kanawi OBE, spokesperson of the Papua New Guinea NGO Environmental Watch Group.
"The Ok Tedi mine is causing the Southern Hemisphere's single worst environmental disaster. The damage from the mine will last for most of the 21st century. BHP must demonstrate that it is willing and able to solve existing problems so it does not create new ones."
"We are waiting for any commitment from BHP that they will look after the people and environment of the Fly River region and Western Province of Papua New Guinea for as long as the damage from Ok Tedi lasts. This commitment needs to be made before they apply for an exploration extension" concluded Mr Kanawi.
The impacts from the mine include the death of around 1000 square kilometres of rainforest, 70 to 90% fish death in the river (a major Papua New Guinea waterway), people who are dependent on the rivers and forest finding it difficult to get enough food and heavy metal pollution.
For more information and a copy of the exploration permit objection call:
The Mineral Policy Institute +61 (2) 9387 5540 Mobile: 0418 261 404
PNG Environment Watch Group +675 323 0397 (Wep Kanawi) or +675 326 2356 (Ursula Rakova)
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