http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200607259903.htm
The Philippine Star 07/25/2006

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes is scheduled to visit a remote mineral-rich village here following reports of mercury contamination in the area believed to have been caused by the unabated illegal small-scale mining operations.

Reyes’ planned visit was prompted by persistent reports of continued operations of small-scale miners utilizing deadly substances and unregulated explosives in the indigenous peoples-dominated Barangay Didipio, which lies in the mountain boundary of Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino.

Gov. Luisa Lloren-Cuaresma, who expressed alarm over the ‘mercury contamination findings’ in the area, extended the invitation to the Environment chief to visit the province ‘to see and assess’ for himself the situation.

Earlier this month, Reyes ordered an investigation on the recent findings of mercury contamination.

Reyes, who assured strict implementation of all rules and regulations against the pollution of the environment, especially in mining sites, directed his men to immediately take action against those behind the ‘despoliation’ of natural resources in the area.

“We are committed to promote clean and healthy environment and protect our natural resources from undue exploitation,” he said.

According to environment officials here, Reyes is scheduled to visit within the week or in early August.

Last month, findings by the state-run Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU) here showed mercury contamination in the blood of some Didipio residents, reportedly as a result of the continued illegal operation of dynamite and chemically induced small-scale mining activities.

Moreover, the village’s major rivers — Camgat, Surong and Didipio — which are also major sources of potable water and irrigation in the area, were now contaminated with the deadly substance.

The NVSU probe team report was confirmed by the National Science Research Institute (NSRI) at the University of the Philippines and St. Luke’s Medical Center, wherein water and blood samples from the upland area were found positive of mercury contamination.

Even before the findings came out, Cuaresma has already been calling all concerned authorities for the immediate stop of all illegal mining activities in the area following the death of a number of small miners due to suffocation inside the illegally dug-up tunnels and to indiscriminate blasting activities.

“We have to put a stop to these activities to prevent miners from invading us. We don’t want to transform Nueva Vizcaya into another Mt. Diwalwal,” said Cuaresma, referring to Compostela Valley’s gold-rush site in Mt. Diwalwal where hundreds of lives were wasted as a result of the unregulated small mining operations there.

Quirino Gov. Pedro Bacani also expressed fear that the continued illegal mining activities might cause massive erosion or landslides, posing danger to villagers living in the immediate impact zone, especially those in the lowland areas in the Quirino towns of Nagtipunan, Cabarroguis and Aglipay.

“We cannot tolerate such unregulated mining activities, besides, these illegal small-scale miners do not pay taxes and worst, are indiscriminately creating tear guides to erosion and landslides all over the place come rainy season,” said Bacani.

Over the years, small-scale miners use mercury to extract gold with the aid of water, which is indiscriminately drained into nearby rivers.

The Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau (MGB) said that vaporizing metallic liquid mercury in the heating process is very dangerous to human health. Once mercury is inhaled, it goes to the lungs and 80 percent of what is inhaled is retained by the body, dissolved in fatty tissue, and can damage the central nervous system. — Charlie Lagasca