Legal claim for environmental damage served on Hidden Valley mine

PNGBLOGS

Bulolo MP, Sam Basil, has served legal proceedings on the owners of the Hidden Valley gold mine in Papua New Guinea, seeking damages on behalf of over 100 indigenous families for environmental damage to the Watut river system.

The legal claim alleges that Morobe Mining Joint Venture (MMJV) has negligently caused toxic pollution which has poisoned the river, killing fish other aquatic life and vegetation and causing injury to people using the water for washing or drinking.

Sam Basil says he has been trying to negotiate with MMJV, which is jointly owned by Newcrest Mining and Harmony Gold, to avoid a lengthy and costly court action, but the miners have not honored an agreement to stop inducing landowners to sign statutory declarations that could affect their future legal rights to compensation.

"I am very disappointed the company has broken its word and is still inducing landowners to sign agreements without giving them the benefit of any independent legal advice and without them understanding what they are doing. The company is abusing its position and not affording the landowners their Constitutional rights".

"I still hope we can avoid a court-room battle but the company must understand that it cannot treat the landowners and affected communities as third class citizens".

"The mining company could have avoided the toxic pollution of the river system, but chose profits ahead of people and the environment. Similarly, it could have avoided being served with these court papers, but it chose to breach its agreement with me."

"The people of PNG have learnt from our experiences with the Porgera and Ok Tedi mines and we are not going to allow another mining company to lie and cheat its way out of its legal and moral responsibilities." 


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