Manila Standard Today
By | Mar. 21, 2014 at 12:01am
SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union—The Bureau of Mines said on Wednesday reports of black sand mining and ore processing at the beach front of a golf course project in Lingayen, Pangasinan were false.
Bureau of Mines regional chief Carlos Tayag said he sent a team of engineers to verify the reports that 1,000 tons of magnetite ore were being extracted and shipped to a private port in the town of Sual.
“News reports of new mining activities at the gold course are baseless,” Tayag said.
The engineers only found an old and rusting machine in an abandoned mine. The company that used to operate the mine had stopped operations in 2012.
The agency has not issued any mining permit along the coastline of the Ilocos region. The law also bans mining in foreshore areas and beach fronts.
Environment Management Bureau regional director Joel Salvador said he also sent investigators to the town of Sual to check the reported illegal mining operations in the area.
“We found the stored ore but discovered no processing activities, either in the alleged mine site or the private port where the ores were transferred,” Salvador said. source
