Apex Mining says mine in Compostela Valley secures ISO 14001 certification

Posted on October 12, 2016
http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Corporate&title=apex-mining-says-mine-in-compostela-valley-secures-iso-14001-certification&id=134734

APEX Mining Co., Inc. said on Tuesday that its mine in Compostela Valley has secured an International Organization for Standardization 14001 certification, in compliance with the Environment Department’s order.

“The company is pleased to report that after two stages of audit by a certifying entity, its operating mine in Maco, Compostela Valley has met the standards of compliance for the issuance of ISO 14001 Certification for Environmental Management Systems,” the listed miner told the stock exchange.

To recall, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued in April 2015 an administrative order mandating large-scale metal mining firms to secure the ISO 14001 certification within a year.

After the deadline lapsed, miners scrambled to request for an extension which then-Environment Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje approved.

ISO 14001 certification is an international standard that acknowledges a mining contractor as employing the highest level of efficiency in terms of extracting minerals while at the same time ensuring that the environment is not compromised.

Apex Mining is one of the 11 mining firms not identified for suspension, despite being ISO-certified only a few days after the two-month audit found nearly three-quarters of the country’s 41 metal mines as meriting suspension orders. The company’s certification is valid for three years, according to Apex Mining. -- Janina C. Lim