In 2007, Hatfield Indonesia was contracted by PT Inco to undertake an environmental baseline survey of potentially affected ecosystems from their expanded operations within their mining concessions on Sulawesi, Indonesia. PT Inco is currently operating through a Contract of Work (COW) granted in 1968 and extended in 1995.
The environmental baseline study is designed to establish the environmental boundary of the development, and identify environmental components that may require further investigation. In addition, the study aims to provide PT Inco decision-makers with practical guidance for how the potential development should be managed to minimize negative impacts, as well as provide information that will be useful for the development of any future Environmental Impact Assessment (AMDAL) documents.
The environmental baseline study will investigate the following:
- Marine and freshwater quality and aquatic biota, through regular water quality and aquatic biota sampling, observation transects and coral reef surveys.
- Hydrology, river flow, and oceanographic conditions, through measurements of river flow and tidal flows, GIS analysis of hydrological data and storm frequency, and analysis of meteorological data.
- Terrestrial soils, forest fauna and flora by taxonomic identification of mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds and plants in terrestrial transects, and establishment of 1 hectare permanent plots at key sites.
- Air quality and noise through measurements in representative areas.
- Community concerns about public health and water availability through interviews with key informants and participatory community interviews and analysis of secondary data.
A team of highly respected scientists and experts in their respective fields were assembled for this study. Partnerships with prominent Indonesian institutions, including the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), and the Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) ensure that prevailing Indonesian environmental considerations are addressed. Assistance from specialists at Universitas Hasanuddin, Makassar and Tadu Lako, Palu, The Nature Conservancy Palu, and the Wildlife Conservation Society, Indonesia Program, Manado will strengthen the validity of baseline data and maximize the use of existing data and local knowledge.
