Marginal South African gold miner Durban Roodepoort Deep has again come under fire for allegedly causing pollution to the river system next to its Tolukuma gold mine in central Papua New Guinea.
M-Net’s Carte Blanche programme on the weekend screened a documentary on the damage the Tolukuma mine is allegedly causing to communities in PNG. Every year the Tolukuma mine is reported to be pumping 50 000 tons of waste into the Agua river, which joins the Alabule river, thereafter forming the Angabanga river that in turn drains into the Pacific Ocean.
Unlike in South Africa, the Tolukuma gold mine does not have tailings dams, which are used to dispose of mine waste, and instead mine waste consisting of both sediment and chemicals are disposed of into the adjacent river system, Carte Blanche said.
As result of this pollution it has been reported that people have died and fallen ill from drinking polluted water.
An environmental scientist Matilda Koma interviewed by Carte Blanche said she tested the water and found very high levels of heavy metals.
However, DRD has categorically dismissed all allegations made by the Carte Blanche programme.
“DRD has worked closely with local communities and the PNG government over environmental management systems for the Tolukuma gold mine in PNG. The Carte Blanche programme failed to recognise a health study conducted by the PNG Department of Environment and Conservation, and released before the programme was aired, which concluded that the environmental management of Tolukuma is sound,” DRD said in a statement.
“The programme is misleading in its entirety,” DRD added.
This is not the first time the Tolukuma mine has been accused of causing pollution and endangering lives of people living along the river system.
In November 2002, the Oxfam Community Aid Abroad’s Mining Ombudsman 2001-02 report accused the mine of a cover-up of massive mercury poisoning that was threatening thousands of lives in the area around the mine.
Oxfam mining ombudsman Ingrid Macdonald said: “The Tolukuma mine in PNG clearly demonstrates an unwillingness on the part of DRD to respect the rights of the women, men and children affected by the mine.” – I-Net Bridge