http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=43861

RAPU-RAPU, Albay - With the green light from Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes, the Lafayette Philippines, Inc. will resume its mining operation Monday, a day before the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines-Bicol Chapter and civic groups would stage a region-wide rally against the mining firm.

Reyes flew to this island town Friday where he finally agreed to the resumption of Rapu-Rapu poly-metallic mining operation provided that the firm complies with some conditions set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
The conditions include payment of P10.4 million in fines, extension of the validity of its surety bond worth P7.7 million and ensure that a spillage of the mine tailings during heavy rains is prevented by installing dam monitoring instruments.

Lawyer Joselito Sarmiento, LPI director and corporate secretary, told The Manila Times that the one-month test run will definitely start on Monday after the firm’s new management complied with all conditions set by the government.

Sarmiento explained that there will be transparency during the test run and the public will be allowed to observe the procedure.

In November 2005 the government suspended the operation of Lafayette following the toxic spillage on October 11 and November 1, which caused fish kill in the waters off Rapu-Rapu town in Albay and Prieto Diaz in Sorsogon.

The fish kill brought by toxic spillage greatly affected the livelihood of fisherfolk in Albay, specifically in Rapu-Rapu, and Legazpi City, and in the municipalities of Barcelona, Bacon, Prieto Diaz and some adjacent towns in Sorsogon.

Bishop Lucilo Quiambao, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Legazpi, and Bishop Arturo Bastes of Sorsogon, head of the defunct Bastes Commission, are set to lead the second salvo of region-wide protests against the resumption of mining operations.

The rally will be backed up by Bicol Association of Catholic Schools and civic organizations in the region.

Bishop Quiambao expressed apprehension of another toxic spillage, saying that the island has steep slopes and is located within a typhoon path. It has a very pronounced wet season and because of its steep slopes, contaminated water from the mines could easily move downhill toward the sea.

Environmentalist groups have said that any pollutant generated by mining operation will end up in Albay Gulf and the most affected will be the residents of the villages of Malobago, Pagcolbon and Binosawan.

But in Friday’s visit of Reyes, residents of the three barangays were at the mining site carrying placards welcoming the resumption of the mining operation. Rhaydz B. Barcia