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Mining Company benefits people
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Mon, 10/09/2006 8:02 AM | Opinion
PT Meares Soputan Mining and PT Tambang Tondano Nusajaya (""The Company"") is developing a mine in the province of North Sulawesi and has engaged all stakeholders in detailed consultations on the environmental and social aspects of the project.
This will be the first new medium scale precious metal mine developed in the era of autonomy within Indonesia. The successful development of Toka Tindung and other mining projects is highly important toward increased domestic and foreign capital investment.
The Company undertakes every effort to liaise with and report to both provincial and central Indonesian government departments to ensure all relevant parties are respected and engaged in a transparent manner. Furthermore the Company is delivering very high standards of environmental compliance, even progressively rehabilitating areas at the very start of its construction activities before the Company realizes any financial benefits from the project.
In demonstration of our respect for the aspirations expressed by the governor of North Sulawesi, community and tourism organizations, the Company has some months ago undertaken to modify its approaches for tailings management. A combined land tailings/rock waste dump has been engineered at significant additional cost to the project, which exceeds the highest standards of environmental and safety factors anywhere in the world.
We confirm that the tailings and waste rock do not contain metals in toxic concentrations, nor will they contain cyanide levels exceeding applicable standards as cyanide detoxification is incorporated in the processing plant operation. We also confirm that the project is located more than 10 kilometers from Tangkoko Nature Reserve and over 40 km from Bunaken Marine Park, thus having no effect on either.
The Company has been active for many years and has invested in excess of US$75 million in the project to date. An additional $60 million will be invested to construct the project to allow commencement of operations in mid-late 2007.
As of September more than 600 people are employed at the project directly and via contractors. There are many more local community organizations, suppliers and others indirectly benefiting from the project's development.
As per our undertakings with the community, the majority of employees are local people. The Company also undertakes sustainable business development programs and delivers benefits such as education subsidies to children in the local community.
It is our understanding that the vast majority of the community support our efforts to develop what will be one of the largest revenue producers for the province of North Sulawesi.
PETER BROWN
General Manager
Archipelago Resources
Pty Limited
PT Meares Soputan Mining
PT Tambang Tondano
Nusajaya
North Minahasa
North Sulawesi
