Soulh Pociflc Reglonol Envlronmenl Progromme SPREF Reports ond Studies Sedes no.90 Environmental imPact of large-scale mining in Papua New Guinea: Sedimentolory and potential mobilization of trace metals from tnine-derived material deposited in the FIy River Floodplain by Jiirg llettler and Bernd Lehmaaa oryricbt @ South Paeifi e Re.gional :Enryirou,rneni Progtamlngn l-g96 The South Farific Regional En'rd.ronuent Pmgraeue authotises the reprodnctisr of thie material whole or iU part, in an1'form pmvid€il apfiropoiate acknooulofuenaat ie g:i-tren. Original Text English Prurblshed in Sepl:ember l9g5 by: Soulh Poeifie Reglonol Eh viro'nm e n,f F ro;gro rnrrn e 'F",O. Eox 240 Apio. Westerrn Somoo Commerclsl Ptinters Apio. \{esfer, rt Son loq F 39/e5 - 4C Fdn:ted with finsneislossisfonc,e fr,om fhe U nlled N otlons Environm gnf Progrorn m e ( lJ NIEPI loyout by Weslery Wsrd, SP,REP, SPREP Gataloguingtnfublieation Data Hattler, J6ng Eqviro-nmental impaet of large-seale mining in Fap*a Nerv Gurnea ; gedi.urentology and p'ortchtial ulobill'aansn of tiace metals fiou. m ne.derivEd mateiial d.ep.osited itr tle Fl6, River F.'losdptain / by Jiitg Hettler and Bernd I;eht'rann. - Apia, Westetn Sargoa : SP.EEP, 1995. vi, 7lp, I 29rcm - (SPflEF Reports addstrrfi€s aelles,; n'g. 9O). L$IEN: 982-O4.Org5-9 1. tsnvirsaueqtal iurpaot analysis = Papua Ne:rtr Guinga. 2. Mines,and r.rtioer.al resour'ces, Environrneotal aspe,€ts ' PaBua N,ew Guirirea. [. Lehmann. Bernd. I. South P.acific R,egional Env,ir,onmeut Frogranls.e. III. Title IV, Series. $68;709549 South Pocific Regionol Environment Progromme SPREP Reports ond Studies Series no.90 Environmental Impact of Large-scale Mining in Papua New Guinea: Sedimentology and Potential Mobilization of Trace Metals from Mine-Derived Material Deposited in the Fly River FloodPlain by Jdrg Hettler and Bernd Lehmann Te cht i sche U n iu er sitcit C lau sthal Freie (hiuersitrit, Berlin,, G erman'y Published in August 1995 in Apia, Westem Samoa Preface The Ok Tedi mine in PNG ranks amongst the This is particularly tlue of the road. l)ower.. world's largest copper mines. It is a major health and water systems, transport and contributor to the PNG economy, accounting for communication facilities. These services are up to 45o/o of PNG's total annual export meeting the basic needs of local villagers by increasing life expectancv and provicling access revenues. The PNG Government 3O% is a to education, employment (OTML). and business shareholder in Ok Tedi Mining Ltd. opportunities. Mining for gold commenced in 1984, and for copper in 1986. Mining for copper is expected to Ok Tedi Mining Ltd. has taken a numbel of continue for a further 10-15 years. iniatives to encourage as nruch participation as possible from people rn the regron and so enstrle It was initially intended that a tailings dam human developrnent goes hand rn hand with should be constructed to contain the mine's mineral development. waste. However for economic reasons and given Sustainable development also requires good that the area is structurally unstable, no tailings environmental stewardship. During the dam was constructed. So, since 1986, 100,000 to devlopment of the Ok Tedi ploject there have 150,000 tonnes of waste per day have been been criticisms of its environmental impacts, discharged into the Ok Tedi and Fly River many of thern based on inaccurate infornration. system. Ok Tedi Mining Ltd. is a responsible resources development company which recognises that all In 1989 the PNG Government set compliance environmental effects must be carefully standards covering suspended particulate load, considered. It is the extent of these impacts and dissolved and particulate copper levels, whether they are reversible or not, which must biological parameters like fish catch, and others. be considered in relation to the social and It is argued by some that the environmental economic benefits to the communities involved and the nation management of the mine is based on monitoring as a whole." for compliance with standards that have been Whereas at the same seminar Mr Alex Maun. a established "to facilitate the realization of prominent landowner stated: OTML's mining schedule" rather than to protect "With the mining operation our life has changed. the environment. The loss of our rainforest and degradation of the Ok Tedi Mining Ltd. has an extensive environment cannot be calculated in terms of environmental monitoring programme. Compl- short-ternr money. We are rural village subsistence farmers who depend the iance monitoring and interpretation are on envlronnrent for survival. assessed routinely by the company (and the Government), but no detailed data are available Before the Ok Tedi Mine operation our life was for public scrutiny (if at all) for at least a year paradise, we en;oyed both the aquatic and after data are collected. This lack of public ten'estrial lesoul.ces. We used the river for fishiug, washing, dnnking and transportation. accountability for environmental p e rform ance is We nrade gardens near the rrver banks which unacceptable. lasted3toSyears. Inevitably the Ok Tedi mrne evokes different Now we rrver people can no longer drink from emotions and perceptions by different groups in the river nor can swrm. bath or wash clothes in PNG. For example, Mr Kipling Uian. the former the nver'. We lack the protein rn orlr diet that Deputy General Manager of OTML and now !!'as fot'rnerly provided by the aquatrc and BHP PNG General Manager, siated rn lgg3 at telrestlral resources. Overflow of the Ok Tedi the 20th Waigani Semrnar on "Environment and Rrver has caused the wild life near the river. banks and Development" at, the Unrversrty of PNG: floodplarns to disappear. Some game anrnrals were drowned by sudden floods. "Importantl-v, the mrne has brought positrve changes to the quality of life of neighbourrng communities in the previously trnderdeveloped Westeln Province. lnve.stment in proJect infrastructure has amounted to about li300m and many of the basrc services now established are available to all citizens in the area, 'lrt'es iu tht' tlootlplaius at'e dving corupletely The Floodplains lblcrrrg thc rvild life to nrigrate to other aleas. river Ncrs' galdt'us al'e llo longer tnade near the The Ok Tedi mine adds about 58 million tonnes lla nks. of sediment to the Ok Tedi River per year. It is I rvoull hkc to stress that Ok Tedi Miuing is estimated that 30% is deposited along the Ok t:arrsing ll'l'eversible destntction along the Fly Tedi, much of the rest reaches the Fly Delta. An Ilirrrl An Ok Te'di River'. Wlratever rt is unknown amount is deposited along the Fly rlestlovrng u'rll ner.el coure back to not'tual. e.g. River and in the floodplains in the middle Fly. crrstrlrui.tt'v land, sago swallll)s, etc' OTML is Studies on the coastal and maline ecosystems in blrnging ttttsrtslatttable tleveloptnent. We Papuan Gulf and Torres Straits afTcctetl rtvct'peoltle thitrk rt is ttcrusense talking the Fly Delta, ltbont srrstainallle developnrent whetr the ruess are being done by both Ok Tedi and Australian rlonc bv the Ok Tedi lUirring rs not cleaned trp." scientists funded by Ok Tedi. Studies on the floodplains of the Middle Fly are being done by "Ok In 1994 Oh Tedi again hit the' headlines: Ok Tedi scientists. and are also the focus of this Zetpl", so says 'ledi has to build tailings dam ' UNEP study. Post Courit'r' headline on 18 lUarch 1994. The report gocs 0n: OTML. in its booklel Oh Tedi, the Erwirotunerfi al.d, You' states that: "Ok Tedi Illining Ltd (OTML) will be tokl to build a series of danrs to dispose of mine wastes "coppel in the sedinrent in the Fly River is also or' "ship ottt" il it leftrses. Mr Zeipi has always being transported during floods onto the insisted a tailings darn be built because, he savs. floodplain where it settles into the lakes, the river rlunrping has darnagirlg effects on the streams aud the flooded forest' At t'hie time ecosvsteltts." there is very little scientific information to tell trs what effect thrs copper on the floodplain (\VIr. orr.d Zeipi i.s lllliltister for Enuironrnettl mrght have on hsh life, feed and breed in this Cott,sert'al iotl). atea". again says "[i2b case looms on mine damage" Consequently OTML has commissioned studies 4 May 1994. Post. Cou.rier headline. this time on of the arnounts in and effects of copper on the (; Then in ltosl Oorurie,'on I\Iay a leport states: floodplain ecosystems. Unfortunately, the PNG "'l'he leatlel of a Papua New Guinean clan Government and independent researchers lodged a writ in the Melbottrne Srtprenre Coult generally lack the financial and human .vesterdav itgainst Attstralia's biggest company' resources to do independent monitoring and BHP, seeking trnspecified datttages for allegedly research of depth and detail. Hence most studies his poisonine the Ok Tedi River aud destroyrng are done by or commissioned by OTML- people's sttbsistence way of' life. It also alleges thc PNL} Gover:tuent. a 30 percent shareholder' This study by Jtirg Hettler and Bernd l,ehmann in Ok Terli Mining Ltd.. had "failed. neglected is valuable since it is done by overseas scientists and t'eftrsetl" to enfot'ce e nvtronrnental funded by UNEP and SPREP through the aHreelnents and convenants'" universities of Berlin and Clausthal and the These rnattels are still being dealt wrth in both tiniversity of PNG. It is apparent from their PNG and Attstralizrn courts and havc not been work that copper is being deposited in the resolved.