Sections

You are here: Home → Shimmield, Dr Tracy → An Independent Evaluation of Deep-Sea Mine Tailings Placement in Papua New Guinea

An Independent Evaluation of Deep-Sea Mine Tailings Placement in Papua New Guinea

— filed under: impacts project, bes project

The main objectives are to critically assess all existing information on past and present mining operations using deep sea tailings placement (DSTP) in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and provide guidelines for future DSTP marine environmental monitoring in the context of international best practice.

Mining Sector Support Program (MSSP) objective

The Mining Sector Support Programme’s (MSSP) overall objectives are to sustain the country’s economic performance through mineral production and exports and to alleviate poverty, increase employment opportunities and mitigate mine-induced environmental impacts.

Its specific purpose is to enhance institutional capacities to effectively promote and regulate the mineral resource sector in order to reverse the current trend of reduced private-sector mineral exploration. It aims at improving geo-scientific data acquisition, conservation, processing and dissemination, enhancing small-scale miners’ capacity, improving mining environment monitoring, and protection.

Project objectives

The purpose of this project is an evaluation of existing deep-sea tailings placement (DSTP) practice in order to establish a consensual, clear, environmentally defensible, enforceable policy on the disposal of Deep Sea Tailings in PNG, thus decreasing uncertainties for prospective investors in PNG, and creating greater legitimacy for the mining industry.

In addition, this project will improve the capacity of PNG’s authorities to manage the environmental impact of deep-sea tailings placement and select the best mine waste disposal technology and sites.

The project involves

A compilation of all existing information on the operational and closed mining operations using DSTP in PNG (Lihir, Misima), from Mining Companies, Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), Research Institutes and scientific publications
Formulating a programme of further fieldwork and analysis
Hold international workshop/conference on DSTP practices and environmental monitoring
Provide general guidelines and criteria for future mining operations in PNG involving DSTP