CEPA INTO FINAL DISCUSSION WITH STAKEHOLDERS BEFORE THE ENVIRONMENT AUDIT TO TAKE PLACE
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The Conservation and Environment Protection Authority will carry out the long-awaited Environment Audit on the 30-year-old Porgera Gold mine.
CEPA Managing Director Jude Tukuliya said that, this will help address some of the landowners issues especially the people along the riverine areas.
“I thank the Marape-Rosso government for the undertaking, it is our responsibility as the agency of state to deliver this important environment audit,” said Tukuliya.
He said they had a final consultation meeting with the stakeholders before the environmental audit will be carried out in the New Porgera Mine.
Tukuliya further explained that an Environment Audit is an authorized scientific, health, social and economic study of the environment in which a company has been operating to extract natural resources.
“I had the opportunity to transfer the Environment Permit to New Porgera Limited knowing the legacy issues that exist including the environment audit and I’m pleased to say that this will soon be afoot,”he said.
The Porgera mine in Enga province operates on the headwaters of the Strickland River that flows through to Western province.
Representing the landowners Peter Papo expressed his gratitude and urged the government through CEPA to ensure the Environment Audit is done quickly.
“We are happy that finally there will be some studies to show if our environment has been affected as a result of mine operations and we urge government to put funding and ensure the audit is done effectively,” he said.
LMP community landowner Jeff Tindiwi said finally they are being included by government under the CDA for Porgera mine and the environment audit will assist them with some of their aspirations.
“Finally, we are being included by government under the CDA for the Porgera mine and the environment audit will assist us realize some of our aspirations,” said Tindiwi.
The managing said, a submission containing the audit program will be presented to the Environment Council for its endorsement before the Environment Audit begins.
