Lopez stops operations of 2 more mining firms

by Madelaine B. Miraflor August 12, 2016

http://www.mb.com.ph/lopez-stops-operations-of-2-more-mining-firms/

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) stopped the operations of two more companies amid the ongoing audit, with the list of suspended Philippine mining operations already amounting to ten.

DENR Secretary Gina Lopez said the Mining Audit Team of the DENR recommended the suspension of two more mining companies both based in Eastern Samar —  EMIR Mineral Resources Corp. and Mt. Sinai Mining Exploration Corp.

 “The audit report of our team is recommending suspension. Tomorrow [Friday], we will issue an order to these firms,” Lopez said.

Leo Jasareno, DENR undersecretary, said the agency found out that these companies are causing siltation to rivers, not practicing engineered mining methods, and causing major damages to forest near the area.

The former Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) said that EMIR is a medium-scale nickel mine that produced 150,000 tons of nickel in 2015, while EMIR produced 50,000 tons of cromite last year.

As of now, there are eight suspended nickel mines, one iron ore mine, and a cromite mine.

Last week, the government suspended the only iron producing mine in the Philippines as part of the audit.

Jasareno said the government has recently suspended Ore Asia Mining and Development Corp. in Doña Remedios Trinidad in Bulacan for failing to obtain ISO Certification. Before that, MGB also suspended the operations of nickel miner Claver Mineral Development Corp., the biggest supplier of nickel ore to top market China. Claver runs a mine in the Surigao del Norte province in Mindanao.

Other firms that are now suspended are Berong Nickel, Citinickel, BenguetCorp Nickel Mines, Inc., Eramen Minerals, Inc., LNL Archipelago Minerals, Inc., and Zambales Diversified Metals Corp.

Lopez said the DENR will establish a website that will show the results of the audit.

Due to alleged violation of environmental standards and other issues, Environment Secretary Gina Lopez said Thursday the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will issue a show cause order to the country’s biggest coal miner, SMPC, for its Molave Coal Poject and Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI) for the Tampakan Copper Gold Mine Project.

Both companies will be given seven days to explain why the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) earlier given to them shouldn’t be withdrawn.

For SMPC, Lopez said the company has “to get its acts together” when it comes to operating its existing coal mine in Semirara Island in Antique.

“There are basic issues that must be resolved in mining in Semirara. First is that their open pit mine is now below sea level,” Leo Jasareno, DENR undersecretary and head of its Mining Audit Team, told reporters on Thursday.

“The Semirara Island has an area of only 5,000 hectares and the pit occupies about 40 hectares but there is a new expansion area of about 600 hectares in the middle of the island. If the mining commence, the issue is what will happen after the mining? How would DMCI do rehabilitation of the island if you have such a big hole in the area. The issues on pollution have to be addressed,” he added.