Papua New Guinea’s Minister for Environment and Conservation, John Pundari, broke his silence on the Ok Tedi mining pollution issue, describing it as a “curse” on the Fly River people of Western province. He says he plans a visit to all impacted areas along the Ok Tedi and Fly River areas and intends to take along a contingent of international and national media to see for themselves the scale of damage. “The mine has been operating in the country for some 27 years, and while it has made a significant contribution to the development of our country, it has also brought a curse upon the people of Western in terms of the enormous environmental damage caused to the Fly River system,” Pundari said. Ok Tedi was constructed and originally run by BHP Billiton.
See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=12194.