The Jaba River Project
The Worlds largest environmental remediation project, in the Bana and Panguna districts, Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
Joint Venture between the Jaba River Foundation Limited, representing a majority of Bana and Panguna landowners and Australian company, 3RE Group Pty Ltd.
An Environmental Apocalypse
The former Panguna Copper Mine on Bouginville Island Generated Billions for its Owners. Their success came at a catastrophic cost to the People and the Environment.
In the 1980s, a mining operation discharged vast amounts of tailings down the Karewong-Jaba river system, destroying the natural drainage and poisoning the ecosystem.
For decades, the local population has lived with toxic waste on an unimaginable scale, polluting their drinking water, killing off fish populations and destroying arable land.
The Damage – Est. 600m+ tonnes dumped over an area 36km long and 2km wide.
The Damage is on Unimaginable Scale
The villagers, who pre-mining, used the river pristine waters for all their food, bathing and water supply requirements have instead the real ongoing risk from being inundated by tailings and toxic flood water.
220 Hectares of tropical rain forest was cleared using Agent Orange sprayed from helicopters. Heavy metal pollution from copper, zinc, cadmium and mercury killed fish populations and destroyed arable land.
The massive amount of tailings has resulted in no natural drainage. In the wet season, heavy rain-water flow down the rivers and streams cause water to breach the levee and flood the river-banks including villages housing, their critical to food and marketing supplies’ livestock and fruit and vegetable gardens.
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900 Million Tonnes of Tailing Waste
The mine processed an estimated 900,000,000 tonnes of rock over its 13 year life with the waste being deposited into the Jaba River causing massive damage.
Process Waste Tailings have filled 36km of River System up to 2km wide.
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Villages and Farming Land are in constant threat of Flooding.
The massive amount of tailings has resulted in no natural drainage.
In the wet season, heavy rain-water flow down the rivers and streams into the Jaba River system causing water to breach the levee and flood the river-banks including villages housing, their critical to food and marketing supplies’ livestock and fruit and vegetable gardens.
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Non Existent Eco System
The Former Ecosystem is Non-existent.
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No Drinking Water
Contaminated Water still flows from the Mine Site.
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Loss of Fishing & Agriculture
Heavy metal pollution from copper, zinc, cadmium and mercury killed fish populations and destroyed arable land.
Copper Turns the Rocks Blue.
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Toxic Conditions
Community Affected by toxic conditions. Available Water is Contaminated.
220 Hectares of tropical rain forest was cleared using Agent Orange sprayed from helicopters.
THE PLAN
Restore the natural river course and remediate the ecosystem
The 3RE Jaba River Rehabilitation Project is for the the People of Bougainville.
For several years there has been a concerted effort to find a viable solution to one of the worlds worst environmental disasters. With a joint and pragmatic approach between the leaders of Bougainville and members of 3RE Group (Australia), a viable solution to repair the environmental damage and provide a new beginning for the world's newest nation.
The Requirements
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Removal
Removal and processing for the recycling of estimated 700 million Tonnes of Tailings (~1.4 X The Volume of Sydney Harbour). Approximately 30 km of New Roads Leading to and from Empress Augusta Bay along The Jaba River.
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Flood Mitigation
Flood Mitigation: Secure site for safe operation with extensive Flood Mitigation. The river is flat and waves of water flow freely in the wet season creating dangerous situations for locals. Stage one will excavate a “V” shape temporary river channel into the river bed to store the water. As the project progresses new levies will be constructed.
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Restoration
Restoration of the Natural Water Courses with damaged area of over 21,000-hectares. The riverbanks, inundated with flood water tailings, will be recontoured and blended with bio-soil conditioners to support renewed, and better than ever, crops, trees and rice paddy fields. This will include lowering the water table to progress dry the area over 21,000 hectares.
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Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation of the River Eco system and removal of toxic waste and rubbish. Specialist agronomist and plant foods are combined as a catalyst for mine site & tailings rehabilitation, landscape restoration and soil improvement.
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Re-establishment
Re-establishment of Fishing and Agriculture which is nonexistent. Effective long term land management programs will be established with tree planting and soil maintenance to be maintained for years as the eco system slowly repairs.
