Solomons goldmine scraps untreated waste release

Transcript

The local owners of a closed gold mine in Solomon Islands say they will not be releasing untreated water from their tailings dam at Gold Ridge on Guadalcanal.

A prolonged wet season earlier this year filled the dam to bursting point, prompting the Solomons Government to issue an emergency licence in July for the controlled release of millions of litres of untreated waste water into the Tinahulu-Metapono river system.

The Chairperson of local landowning company Gold Ridge Community Investment Ltd, Walton Naezon however says that since then water levels in the dam have dropped.

Mr Naezon told Koroi Hawkins the company is now focusing on building a water treatment plant with the help of mine's previous Australian owners, St Barbara.  

WALTON NAEZON: The work for the preparation for the treatment plan has been completed about 60 percent. The two 20 foot containers are already at the wharf unloading at the moment. So we hope to bring it up to the site and it will probably take four weeks to install and then commissioning.

KOROI HAWKINS: So now you are going to treat the water?

WN: Yes

KH: I thought it was going to be untreated discharge?

WN: That was the permit issued by the director of environment to de-water untreated water because of the disaster aspect of the dam. Now that we have a dry season the water level has dropped we think we can concentrate on the preparation of the treatment plant and de-watering of the treatment plant.

KH: I bet the land owners downstream are very happy with that.

WN: That is what they are looking for and I think that is one of the conditions that the government has agreed with them.

KH: Now I understood you undertook to deliver water tanks throughout the communities are those still going to be used as just a precautionary measure?

WN: Of course that is the government project, the government actually made the commitment to supply 100 tanks which they did and with the other materials and the tanks are fifty percent installed and that is the contribution the government puts to the community.

KH: And where did you get the funding or the equipment for the treatment plant.

WN: That was part of the agreement when we took over from St Barbara and we struck the deal that St Barbara agreed to meet the cost of purchasing the treatment plant and installing and commissioning.

KH: Four weeks for installation and commissioning and then what is de-watering schedule going to be how much water are you going to be pumping out and how much can this treatment plant process?

WN: We will try and pump out all the water, all the water in the tailings dam and it will take us about three months.

KH: Earlier we spoke you said that was a crucial aspect of getting the mine back into operation, this sounds like a positive step?

WN: Yes that is the first steps that we have got to do we get the water treated and de-watered empty the tailings dam that is one of  the risk factors of getting investors here. So that is one of the liabilities that needs to be put out of the way so we can move to other things. Right now my company is rebuilding the road, reconstructing the road and maintaining it in good condition. And then we can start by next week and the week after we will start cleaning the mill and rebuilding confidence and putting back the office and the accommodations are at the top of the mine sites.

KH: And how are your talks with the various companies you said you were talking to in terms of getting an operational partner?

WN: Yes there are a few companies one of which is the former owner of Allied Gold Mr Mark Caruso he shows a very high interest to come back and reinvest into the mine probably in a different structure and so forth. So he is keen to come and have a look. There are a few companies we spoke to we have an agreement we are still negotiating with them in town going back to them and negotiate some of the clusters of the offer they put on. So until I finalised some of the agreements I will take it to my board and then we move on but at the moment there are a few companies in Australia and China that we have spoke to.