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Harlyne Joku

The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) has ordered Allied Gold limited, operator of the Simberi Gold/Copper mine in the New Ireland Province to shut down its mill plant following a cyanide spill from one of its deep sea tailings disposal tanks last Tuesday.

Simberi Gold mine is located on Simberi Island, 135 kilometres east of Kavieng town.

The islanders are claiming that fish, turtles, dugongs, whales and other marine life are dying as a result of the cyanide in the water.

The mine is using the Deep Sea Tailings Placement System to dispose its waste and has reported to DEC that there is a leakage in one of the tailings tank in the sea.

Secretary of DEC Dr Wari Iamo confirmed the incident yesterday evening.

He said Allied Gold had reported to DEC about the incident on March 2 and that they were trying to contain the spill.

DEC officers moved in swiftly and instructed the mine to shut down its mill plant until further investigation and instructions.

?The company has also been instructed to provide an incident report to DEC so we can be able to assess the situation and take necessary action including prosecution if there was negligence on the part of the company,? Dr Iamo said.

Meanwhile, fish, whales, turtles and dugongs are dying as a result of the spill, the Deputy Provincial Administrator of New Ireland Province Ms Veronica Jigede also confirmed yesterday.

Ms Jigede said the provincial government has sent several officers to the islands to verify the report

She said they have taken photographs of dying fish and other marine life.

Ms Jigede said they had received unconfirmed reports that the impact of the spill has extended to neighbouring Tatau and Big Tabar Islands and that two workers have been hospitalised.

Ms Jigede said the locals have expressed anger over the accident saying they do not want to be treated like guinea pigs in testing out the Deep Sea Tailings Disposal system (DSTD).

The Post-Courier tried to contact Allied Gold for comment but was unsuccessful.

We also contacted MRA (Mineral Resources Authority) who confirmed the incident but did not wish to comment and referred us to DEC as the responsible monitoring agency.