Emperor Mines has admitted there are better ways of managing toxic waste from its Tolukuma Gold Mine in Papua New Guinea but say they haven't caused pollution issues in local rivers.
Fears have been raised among locals after a recent government-commissioned study found that high levels of toxic metals had been found in blood samples of people living along the river.
Emperor Mines spokesperson, Patrick Bindon, says the company stands by claims that the study is not credible.
But he says the company has devised a three-year plan to end dumping of tailings into the river system.
"We inherited if you like Tolukuma and its operational characteristics when when it was added to the Emperor set of assets and ever since that point we have been looking at costings for alternatives to river-end disposal and there are a number of alternatives."
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In the meantime Mr Bindon says they're disappointed that they will now have to foot the bill for extensive water quality testing to dispel the fears that the government has raised in locals.