http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=regions03_april17_2006
By Jaime Pilapil
Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes ordered two mining companies in Marinduque and Zambales to immediately ensure that the communities surrounding their mines be protected from accidental spills and other hazards that may occur as a result of La Niña and defective mine structures.
Reyes said the Mines and Geosciences Bureau has identified the Maguila-guila siltation dam and Tapian pit of Marcopper Mining Corp. in Marinduque, and the Bayarong tailings pond and Camalca waste dump of the Dizon Mines in Zambales as “critical” mine structures.
“Left unattended, these mine structures will pose a threat to the environment and the nearby communities. The concerned mining firms should immediately institute the appropriate remedial measures necessary to maintain the integrity of the identified mine structures,” he said.
The environment secretary sounded the alarm to prevent a repetition of the tailings spill in the Marcopper mines that released 1.6 million cubic meters of tailings into the 26-kilometer Makulapnit and Boac river systems on March 24, 1996.
The spill killed the Makulapnit and Boac river systems and practically altered the social and economic status of the area, according to a study conducted by an independent US study team.
“The independent assessment team has unequivocally concluded that potential instabilities in several existing mine structures at the Marcopper site pose the most significant threat to the inhabitants and ecosystems of Marinduque,” the study report said.
In his directive, Reyes advised the local government units concerned to “take the necessary actions to alert and safeguard the nearby communities” so as to prevent disasters that would adversely affect the environment and the residents.
The mines of Marcopper and Dizon are now idle mines, according to environment department officials, but Reyes said this is more reason to properly maintain and sustain the structures through proper care and maintenance to prevent them from collapsing and spilling tailings and chemicals to the surrounding areas.
“Being inactive, the structures need more care and maintenance. The mining firms should ensure that the identified structures can withstand the effects of sudden heavy or prolonged rainfall or successive typhoons,” said Reyes.
According to Reyes, his warnings to the two mining firms apply to the mining industry as a whole. The government hopes to revitalize the local mining industry with the aid of foreign investments to promote economic development and create more jobs.
Reyes described his directive as a “proactive approach, meant not just for the mining firms identified, but for the whole mining industry and intends to instill a culture of safety and health and environment protection with or without La Niña.”