Hidden Valley landowners complain of rashes and stomach problems

Landowners say these skin rashes were caused by washing in the polluted Watut River

Landowners living along the Watut River are complaining of skin rashes and stomach complaints due to contamination of the water by the Hidden Valley mine, Ramu Nickel Mine Watch reports.
While the mine owners, Australian Newcrest and South African Harmony Gold, have admitted higher levels of sedimentation in the river have been caused by mine operations they have not explained why the fish in the river have died, the landowners are experiencing medical problems and vegetation along the river is dying back.

Newcrest and Harmony Gold have not offered any explanation for skin diseases and stomach problems

Government insiders say the problems are caused by acidification of the river caused by the iron pyrites in the overspill from the mine that has escaped into the river.

The mine companies recently started handing-out small compensation payments to affected families for the loss of gardens caused by flooding and changes to the river’s path, but if the allegations of acidification and widespread poisoning are born out by toxicology tests they could be facing massive lawsuits.