Ok Tedi Mining Limited successfully hosted a clean-up exercise at one of the mine villages and established for the first time, a sustainable rubbish removal plan for the village as part of the World Environment Day activities.

A popular rubbish dumping location at Finalbin village, opposite the Finalbin Primary School in North Fly District of Western Province, was transformed after an astounding 10-15 tonnes of rubbish was picked up and taken away for proper disposal by a team of volunteers including OTML employees, contractor business partners, school students and Finalbin villagers. Finalbin Village is less than half an hour’s drive from Tabubil town, perched at the top of a mountain along the access road to the Ok Tedi Mine. For years the dump grew becoming an eye sore, a huge contrast to the natural greenery of the surrounding mountains and terrain.

Superintendent Industrial Site and Water Management, Paulus Pank said, “Picking rubbish marks our small contribution towards environmental protection to commemorate the World Environment Day for this year. There were other week-long simultaneous activities involving OTML departments and schools located near Tabubil, but this initiative brings the awareness back to the community who have little understanding when it comes to the subject of environmental protection.” In line with this year’s WED theme: ‘Beat Air Pollution’ he said it was better to dispose the rubbish in a pit rather than in the open near a community living area. He also added that the burning of rubbish releases detrimental gasses into the atmosphere causing more harm to the ozone layer. Mr Pank reiterated the importance of sustaining the practice of proper rubbish disposal and praised Finalbin’s Village Planning Committee for making the commitment to keep up environmentally safe rubbish disposal practices.

“I would like to extend my thanks to the OTML teams and contractors that turned up in numbers to participate in this program. A word of thanks also to the villagers who led the program,” Mr Pank said. Ok Tedi Mining Limited Contractor partners who volunteered for the clean-up included, TKI, Bugum and Faiwol Investors