photo from oxfam.org.auHere is the latest news on the reopening of the mines in our beloved province of Marinduque. Are you in favor or against it ? Please comment on this article if you strongly believe that reopening of the mines will have a detrimental effects in our environment or for that matter a positive effect on the economy of our province. My friends, members of Marinduque International, Inc, I am looking forward to hear your comments, especially our members of the Environmental Committee, chaired by Flo Apeles of Southern California. May I hear from you!
DENR keen in reopening mines in Marinduque
By MARVYN N. BENANING
July 12, 2009, 7:30pm
BOAC, Marinduque – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is keen in reopening the Marcopper mines in this island province and is seeking support from Gov. Jose Antonio “Bong” Carrion to win popular acceptance for the move.
DENR officials met with Carrion last week to assure him that the department will not be averse to the clean-up of the 26-kilometer Boac River, which sustained the worst damage when the Tapian mine tailings pit collapsed on March 24, 1996 and discharged millions of liters of contaminated waste into the river system and then on to the Philippine Sea.
Carrion is sensitive to the concerns of his constituents and said bioremediation and phytoremediation must be completed first before the people of Marinduque could even consider the proposal as environmentally sound.
DENR Undersecretary Eleazar Quinto is said to be responsive to the idea and is not bent on opposing any viable project to clean up the mess.
The destruction of the main river in Marinduque and six sub-river systems has been particularly deleterious to the livelihood of fishermen and farmers, many of whom have pending damage suits against Marcopper.
Two years ago, protesting farmers and fishermen supported by environmental groups demanded payment for the destruction caused by the 1996 calamity and reiterated they would oppose any move to reopen the mine, which operated for about 60 years and discharged more than 200 million tons of waste into the bay.
All riverine life in Marinduque has been slaughtered by the waste dumped by Marcopper and the levels of arsenic, cadmium, and copper are high, with agricultural land and sources of drinking water contaminated.
Local officials are also demanding quick reparation for the damage to the environment, along with more than a billion in taxes left unpaid by the shuttered company and its beneficial owner, Placer Dome Inc., a Canadian mining company.
Mogpog River-photo by Karol Ilagan from pcij.org/2008Get rid of your apathy, by leaving a comment on this article!
1 comment:
I received comments from two readers, selepa@aol.com and ipball7@juno.com as follows:
From ipball7@juno.com
My own single vote goes to the approval of reopening the mines. But the preliminaries have to be tightly adhered to fulfill all legal loopholes plugged in making the program foolproof. The provincial government should hire its own consultant, preferably from other countries, with reputable track records in containment of future problems. A watch dog organization should check the plans, ideas and equipments of any consultant company, to ensure safeguard of the ecosystem of the paradise island, and of paramount importance should be the equitable and profitable utilization of the funds and profits garnered from the operation.
Selepa@aol comments: you said it well. Isabel and Flo agrees with you.
My comments: Amen, Amen, Amen!
Post a Comment