G-Resources delay construction of ?waste pipe?

Hong Kong-listed gold mining firm G-Resources has delayed the construction of a 2.7-km pipeline to dump its industrial waste to a river near its gold mine in Martabe, South Tapanuli, North Sumatra, Kontan reported on Thursday.

The local people still opposed G-Resources plan to dump the industrial waste in the river although the company had explained that the industrial waste would be first processed in a water treatment before being unloaded into the river.

Katarina Hardono, the communication manager of the company said that the company would again carry out ?socialization? program with the local residents so that they would understand that the waste would not cause pollution because it would be fist processed through a water treatment technology in line with the government standard.

In July, G-Resources conducted a trial operation of its gold and copper ore processing plant, which has a capacity to process 250,000 oz of gold a year and 3 million oz of copper a year.

The company has employed about 2,000 people to conduct mining activities. About 70 percent of them are locals.(*)