http://www.deepseaminingoutofourdepth.org/
The Hon. Mr. Peter O’Neill
Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea
FAX: 675 327 7490; 327 6630
PO Box Parliament House
Waigani NCD, PNG
6 December 2012
Dear Prime
Minister O’Neill,
We would like to introduce the Deep Sea mining Campaign affiliated with
Friends of the Earth Australia. We are a small team who collaborate with
colleagues in PNG, the Pacific Islands region and further abroad (as far as
Namibia, Hawaii and the Azores for example). Our goals are to stimulate
informed debate about deep sea mining, ensure free, prior and informed consent
by local communities, and to facilitate civil society engagement in
decision-making about DSM.
As PNG is the testing ground for this unprecedented form of mining we
have focused significant energy on examining the Solwara 1 project. You
may be aware that last year we released a report (downloadable from our web
site - see above) providing an overview of DSM in general and the Solwara 1
project in particular. Entitled, Out of our Depth: Mining the Ocean Floor
in PNG, this report raises many concerns about gaps in the EIS and the many
risks that have not been properly assessed. Subsequent conversations with
Nautilus resulted in reassurances that research has since been conducted that
would address these concerns. However no such information has been
provided.
Consequently we have embarked on a further examination of the EIS's
oceanographic aspects. We chose to look at these due to their critical
importance to level of risk that coastal communities and marine ecosystems will
be exposed to. The report was released in early November and can be downloaded from our web
site. The link to the report is http://www.deepseaminingoutofourdepth.org/report/.
Solwara 1 is a unique project of worldwide significance. Key
aspects of its approvals process are not in the public domain. This has resulted in many questions about the
project's likely impacts and the basis upon which the 20 year operating license
was issued by the Government of PNG.
In the
interests of transparency and informed debate, we would like to ask whether it would
be possible for the PNG National Government to release:
·
The full oceanographic
data set for the EIS, i.e. all the data gathered and all the analysis conducted
by the EIS consultants but not presented in the EIS
·
The 2009 independent
review of the oceanographic aspects of the EIS conducted for DEC by Cardno
Lawson Treloar Pty Ltd
·
Any other independent
reviews of the EIS commissioned by DEC
·
the conditions of the
Solwara 1 permits issued to Nautilus by DEC
·
The draft
environmental management plan for Solwara 1
·
Studies and modeling
that show what metals will be released, what chemical forms they will be
present in, the extent to which they will find their way into the food chain,
how contaminated the seafood eaten by local communities will be and what
effects these metals will have on fisheries of local, national and regional
importance.
The release of the above documents would enable discussions about the
recommencement of Solwara 1 to start on
the right footing and with due attention paid to civil society’s concerns.
We note and welcome recent statements by yourself that recognize
the need for the environmental impacts of Solwara 1 to be addressed. However, we are left wondering whether this
concern is shared by the Department of Environment and Conservation. We are disappointed by the cancellation of
the public forum DEC was to hold in Port Moresby on 26-27 November and by the
lack of response from the Acting Secretary of DEC, Mr Gunther Joku to a letter from
the DSM campaign e-mailed, faxed and posted to him last month.
We look forward to a productive discussion with your Office and with DEC. In
particular we and our PNG colleagues would appreciate your advice as to the
concrete steps the PNG National Government intends to now take to ensure that
environmental concerns are addressed prior to the re-commencement of operations
at Solwara 1.
Wishing you all the best for a peaceful Christmas and a Happy
New Year,
Yours sincerely,
Helen Rosenbaum (PhD) Wences
Magun
Coordinator, Deep Sea Mining Campaign National Coordinator, Mas Kagin Tapani
Affiliated with Friends of the Earth Australia Steering Committee Member,
Ph: 61 413 201 793 Deep Sea Mining Campaign
Coordinator, Deep Sea Mining Campaign National Coordinator, Mas Kagin Tapani
Affiliated with Friends of the Earth Australia Steering Committee Member,
Ph: 61 413 201 793 Deep Sea Mining Campaign
