By AFP - Agence France Presse
Rio Tinto's Bougainville mine poses ongoing threats: Report
A long-abandoned mine in Papua New Guinea, once operated by Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto, poses environmental and safety concerns for nearby communities living under the threat of landslides, according to a new report.
A two-year study of the Panguna mine - located on the autonomous island of Bougainville - found that the mine's structures were “deteriorating” while “tailings continued to migrate downstream and chemicals continued to be released.”
The study commissioned by Rio Tinto and conducted by environmental company Tetra Tech Coffey found that in some areas, buildings, bridges, or the ground itself were “unstable and may collapse.”
This poses a risk of damage, injury, or death to the local community, according to the report.
The mining giant has been accused for years of shirking responsibility for cleaning up toxic waste at the vast decommissioned copper and gold mine.
Kellie Parker, Rio Tinto's managing director in Australia, said the “comprehensive assessment” was an important milestone in understanding the long-term impacts of the mine.
“While we continue to review the report, we recognize the severity of the impacts identified and accept the conclusions,” she said in a statement on Friday.
Parker acknowledged that this would take time but promised to work closely with stakeholders to ensure that the mine's legacy was dealt with in a “fair and equitable” way for affected communities.
The report found that the tailings from the mine - which flow into the Kawerong-Jaba River - have “permanently altered the river system” and that it “will not naturally return to its pre-mine form for at least 100 years”.
The river system also posed a health risk to communities, and the high metal content in the soil hindered plant growth, according to the report.
But there were still some sources of water that people could safely drink, bathe in, and swim in.
The report made 24 recommendations, including defining areas that need further investigation, which will be considered by the relevant stakeholders to determine the next steps.
The Human Rights Law Centre of Australia, which helped organize the legal action against Rio Tinto, said that communities continue to live with the “devastating impacts of the mine.”
“The mine's infrastructure is crumbling, putting lives at risk. Villages are being flooded, and communities are without access to water and essential services,” the center said in an update on its website.
The center promised to continue working with the community.
The mine is estimated to still contain more than five million tons of copper and 19 million ounces of gold - worth billions of dollars at current market prices.
The Panguna mine, which operated between 1972 and 1989, was one of the largest mines in the South Pacific.
However, anger among locals about environmental damage and the distribution of profits led to a revolt that forced its closure.
The ensuing civil war left up to 20,000 people dead, around 10% of Bougainville's population at the time.
As part of a 2001 peace agreement that ended the civil war, Bougainville voted overwhelmingly for Papua New Guinea's independence.
lec/cwl
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