From the global Blue Community World Council of Churches:
Global Systemic Carbon Fast – Week 6 – Deep sea mining: a story from Papua New Guinea.
The government of Papua New Guinea has proposed a number of mining projects that will have serious negative consequences on the people, the land, the sea, and the environment. A deep sea mining license was issued to a foreign company. Therefore, the churches in Papua New Guinea stood in solidarity and raised the prophetic voice of the church against deep sea mining in Papua New Guinea and the entire Pacific.
In the Morobe province, the new Wafi-Golpu Mine will soon be in operation. The mine developer proposed to use the deep sea tailing placement system to dump the mine waste into the Huon Gulf Sea near Lae. The pipeline route will pass through areas that are earthquake and flood-prone, and through or near densely populated corridors connected to Lae, the second largest city and a national industrial hub.
The nearby communities and campaign partners are concerned that this is highly risky. A major pipeline failure could threaten rivers, settlements, public health, and coastal ecosystems, in addition to the long-term risks they associate with ocean disposal.
