Gulf Landowners to sue ExxonMobil

Post Courier

GULF Provincial Government says it will sue the State and the developer of PNG LNG Gas project ExxonMobil for more than two billion US dollars for what they claim to be failings in an Environmental Impact Study on the areas that will be directly affected by the project. In a news conference yesterday Gulf Governor Havila Kavo said the environmental study funded by the developer had not taken into account the negative impact this large scale project would bring to his people, especially the destruction to the marine life along the 400 kilometres from the Kikori Rriver and along the Gulf coastline where the gas pipeline is planned to be laid under the seabed. Mr Kavo decided to take this course of action after engaging a locally based environment company (Chem Clean Environmental Services) to undertake further study and to review and verify the EIS report. The environmental review and verification of the EIS report has been finalised and was officially presented to the Gulf Provincial Government yesterday.

The Governor expressed satisfaction that the report had provided some statistical and empirical information which now provided the basis for the Gulf Provincial Government to go to court to begin court proceedings against the State and the developer to restrain the developer from undertaking early works and construction until all environmental concerns are adequately addressed and resolved amicably. The provincial government is claiming that the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) undertaken by the developer and subsequently approved by the National Government through the Minister for Environment and Conservation was now considered to contain significant anomalies and did not address the main concerns of identifying potential environment damage and suggestions for appropriate compensation to be paid by the State and the developer.

The environmental review and verification of the EIS report by Chem Clean Environmental Services highlighted substantial negative impacts on the environment in which it is saying that the study (EIS) undertaken by the developer did not take into account the following key concerned areas; and the laying of the gas pipeline will be within the provincial seas boundary and within the exclusive economic zone area of the coastline and this will significantly affect the lucrative prawn industry in the Gulf of Papua and significantly reduce the economic return of the prawn industry and consequently affect the existing internal revenue for the Gulf Provincial Government.

* The traditional fishing and livelihood of the 10 to 12 major tribes living along the Gulf coastline and the commercial prawn industry and other forms of maritime activities will be greatly affected. This was clearly evidenced by the fact from the existing Oil and Gas Act (1988) that once the gas pipeline was laid down along the sea bed, a total of 20 nautical miles within the pipeline area will be totally restricted to public access and this will affect the local fishermen and the commercial prawn industry. An evidence of such is the current restriction for prawn trawlers along the site of the Kumul Terminal for oil export.

* Gulf Province is rich with bio-diversity and with a beautiful coastline, with big river systems and tributaries, swampland, mountains, plains, and provides the perfect natural breeding habitat for some rare and endangered species. The gas pipeline project will disturb and destroy the natural marine habitat and eco-system of the rare and endangered plants and animal species. The EIS report does not provide any remedies to address this potential environmental concern.

* The pipeline under the seabed will be a main cause for rapid sedimentation and this will destroy the marine ecosystem, especially the prawns and other fish species. There were also concerns raised on the effect this project will bring as a result of the global warming and climate change and the disturbance to the natural environment poses a great threat of king tides that will erode the coastal villages that are already being experienced. Exxon Mobil when contacted said they could not comment at this stage but will develop a response to clarify the situation today.

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