Wednesday, September 26, 2018

DENR backs bill banning open pit mining


Louise Maureen Simeon (The Philippine Star) - September 26, 2018 - 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The government is leaving to Congress the decision on whether or not to allow open pit mining.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has expressed support for House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s proposal to craft a bill that seeks to totally ban open pit mining.
“While he is not supporting the open pit mining, President Duterte is giving the assignment of amending the Mining Law to Congress instead of issuing an executive order,” Environment Undersecretary Jonas Leones said in a briefing during the ENIPAS Act Forum yesterday.
“The only obstacle is that we have the mining law and we cannot just impose the ban on open pit as it is the only available method to extract some minerals like gold,” Leones said.
Last week, Arroyo said the House would come up with a new mining bill which includes banning the open pit method which she said was a priority of Duterte.
Arroyo also asked the Department of Finance to submit its own proposals to be incorporated in the House version of the mining legislation.
“We welcome this development. When they pass the bill, it will be subjected to various consultations and studies. Before imposing the ban on open pit, we hope that there will be available options available for the mining sector to undertake operations without resorting to open pit,” Leones said.
The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines, meanwhile, said it would continue consultations
with the government on all proposed measures relating to large-scale mining.
The ban was first ordered by former Environment chief Gina Lopez in April 2017, shortly before she was removed from office.
In October 2017, the interagency Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) recommended the lifting of the open pit ban, saying the local sector is now poised for a sounder investment climate.
A month later, however, Duterte rejected the Council’s recommendation and ordered mining companies to shape up.
Open-pit mining remains to be an internationally accepted method for mining.
The Constitution even gives the state the duty to explore, develop, and utilize the country’s mineral resources.

No comments:

Post a Comment