Silence is Golden [1]
Friday, April 4, 2008 - 13:30. Updated on Wednesday, May 7, 2014 - 18:29.
Editor,
Although Nautilus Minerals front man, Mr. Paula Taumoepeau, tried to make a case for his employer, I am not convinced the kingdom's best interest had been taken into account. There are too many loopholes left untouched that makes small-minded people like me very nervous.
I am a card carrying member for progress through responsible development. But, when a sophisticated and unproven system is presented and approved in a very short time without public discussion, enquiring minds want to know; the devil is always is in the detail. Seabed mining is new. David Heydon, Nautilus Minerals' CEO, publicly admitted, "This is a whole new frontier." With that admission, aren't we rushing this without a proper reviewing process in place?
For the time being, let's assume Mr. Taumoepeau is sincere in his argument on behalf of his company. But as we all know, one's sincerity does not diminish the importance of reviewing the totality of the operation and its impact on the economy, the environment, and in the ecosystem. I hope our Department of Natural Resources did not approve this request solely based on the sincerity of the applicant or his relation to his friend who is a friend of a friend of the uncle of the Approving Authority.
Dr. Fernando Martinez (Chief Scientist on board the research vessel Kilo Moana) informed us they conducted basic research on the geologic evolution of the basin and its' volcanic, tectonic and hydrothermal systems, not deep sea mineral resources. And, they are not under contract with Nautilus Minerals. I will give Paula Taumoepeau the benefit of the doubt for what he has told us. But, I will also ask, "What else isn't he telling us? Or, what else aren't they (Nautilus) telling him?"
Sea bed mining consists of drilling, suction, scooping, and bucket dredging; all carry environmental liabilities. The mined products are then processed in surface vessel - often contending with choppy seas. As minerals are extracted, waste or submarine tailings are produced. Didn...t Paula say these tailings will be properly disposed somewhere in Australia or Canada? We know what the Australians will say about this disposal idea, but over the Canadians dead bodies?
The prospect of potentially acid-generating sulphide wastes toppling back into the sea from an insecure ship or worse, deliberately being spread on the ocean floor where they then "upwell" towards the surface - may be even greater. Being from Foa, I know currents bring undesirable things from the ocean deep to shore. Guess who lives 100 kilometers away from the mining site? Definitely not David Heydon!
As a bona fide village idiot, I do not know a whole lot, and sea bed mining may be safe. But to this point, those that are involved in the process have not done a good job convincing me it is. In addition, the silence on Government oversight and royalties from this venture is deafening. It is possible the Government is working on this behind the scene. But hopefully, they are not working way, way behind. We have lost too much money through nepotism and incompetence management of past schemes. It is time Joe Q. Public gets something.
Tama Foa