The government of Papua New Guinea will spend K9 million to clean the toxic remains left by developer Niugini Gold Ltd. at the Sinivit mine in East New Britain.
According to Environment, Conservation and Climate Change Minister Wera Mori, the firm left in 2014 without informing the government, claiming that the latter failed to renew its license.
Mori said he would be making a submission to Cabinet for funding to carry out the clean-up.
“The mine was closed in 2014,” he said. “They abruptly left the camp and all the infrastructure, leaching facilities, the cyanide, dynamites and explosives. These are very dangerous and must be disposed of. We need to clean the place up. When the company left, they did not lodge a plan with the Mineral Resources Authority to put the camp under care and maintenance. As a result, we now have serious environmental issues. We need a reputable company to detoxify the cyanide, including those kept in the vat ponds and remove them.”
Mori said that the clean-up might take less than three months.
There are around 50,000 people living close to the site.
