Ramu nickel JV firms laud DSTP court ruling

THE joint venture partners in the Ramu nickel project are supporting the decision of the national court in Madang to proceed with the construction of a deep-sea tailings placement system (DSTP), The National reports.

The court has ruled that the construction of the DSTP can now be completed.

Highlands Pacific managing director John Gooding said the partners – MCC Ramu Nico Ltd, Mineral Resources Ramu Ltd (representing the state), Mineral Resources Madang Ltd (representing landowners) and Highlands Pacific – supported the decision, saying it provided a practical way to resolve an extremely important issue for the project and the PNG mining industry.

“We look forward to completing construction with the DSTP being the last major component after the significant disruption of the last six months,” he said.

Gooding said this would be an opportunity for the facts on DSTP to be presented, some of which included:

* The tailings are of low toxicity which are treated and neutralised prior to release;

* The depth of the pipe outflow will be 450ft below sea level with the neutralsed slurry dropping to much deeper depths;

* The annual tailings represent less than 7% of the 80 million tones of sediment estimated to be deposited annually by rivers in the same area (which has occurred for thousands of years)

* The significant number of independent studies undertaken as part of the environmental approval process which occurred in 2001; and

* Monitoring systems and compliance standards will be in place for the projects duration

Highlands Pacific owns a 8.56% stake in the Ramu nickel/cobalt project worth US$1.4 billion.

MCC out intimidating landowners again

Having threatened and intimidated their way out of one court action, Ramu mine owners MCC and Highlands Pacific, are following the same stratagy to try and get rid of a second court challenge, the Ramu Nickel Mine Watch website claims.

Construction of the Ramu mine's marine waste dumping system is currently on hold after MCC gave undertakings to the National court last week not to proceed with any coral blasting or pipeline work until an injunction application by local clans is heard on October 15.

But in the meantime MCC staff are out in the villages along the Rai Coast threatening and intimidating local people to sign 'Statements of Fact' (like the one illustrated below) stating they don't want to be part of the court action and know marine dumping (DSTP) is the 'safest way'.

MCC staff are particularly focusing their attention on Tugyag village which is the home of the court plaintiff Louis Medaing.

One technique being used by MCC to induce people to sign is to tell them that any relatives working with the company will be sacked if they don't cooperate.

Presumably it is the intention of MCC and Highlands Pacific to turn up at court on October 15 with as many of these signed statements as possible to try and undermine Louis Medaing in the eyes of the court and to intimidate him to withdraw his court case.

The first legal action collapsed when the original plaintiff's withdrew their case citing the conflict that it was causing in their communities and fears for their safety