1 July 2010

Press Statement

Kalikasan PNE challenges Pnoy and DENR Secretary to ban on open-pit mining in the country

Hail to South Cotabato Governor Daisy Avanes-Fuentes in her courageous and principled decision to approve the province environment code that bans open-pit mining, a proven ecologically-devastating technology, in her province.

The governor decision is a culmination of more than a decade of struggle of the people in SOCSARGEN region in the protection of the environment and defense of their patrimony. The open-pit mining ban is also a fitting gift to the sacrifices of anti-corporate mining leader Eliezer ‘Ka Boy' Billanes, the most outstanding Gawad ng Bayani ng Kalikasan awardee, who was assassinated in March 9, 2009 because of his staunch opposition against Xstrata mining project in the region.

There is more than enough reason to ban open-pit mining not only in South Cotabato but to the whole country. Based on the paper prepared by SOCSARGENDS Agenda, an anti-Xstrata mining alliance and staunch proponent of the environment code, open-pit mining is the most environmentally destructive way of mining. It involves the clearing of all vegetation, including forest, in the mining site. Utilizing heavy equipments and machineries, it completely removes the earth until the mineral ore is found. Its impacts to the environment are irreversible. There is no known rehabilitation activity of any open-pit mining that has become suitable environmentally or for human living.

Open-pit mining result to massive soil erosion and reduction of soil fertility. It destroys forested areas. It disrupts local waters systems and irrigation, pollutes the rivers and bays, and degrades marine ecosystem. It also results to air pollution with the abnormal volume of dust and suspended particles as a result of its operation.

These are happening to the mining-affected communities in Marinduque, Albay, Benguet, Masbate, Cebu, Negros Occidental, Zamboanga del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Palawan brought about by open-pit operation of large-scale mining corporations.

Large-scale open pit mining leaves big scars on the landscape. It may be over 1.5 miles long, 4,500 feet deep and 4,000 feet wide. In the process of mining billions of tons of ore, whole mountainsides can be gouged out, leading to desertification, habitat loss and community displacement.

More so, open-pit mining is technically unsuitable to the Philippines. Owing to the country's archipelagic and mountainous characteristics, and also being a high biodiversity-rich area, the impact of open pit mining in the county would be many times graver than if it is done to continental countries.

To prove these, national government leaders and officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) can only visit the open-pit mining of Benguet Corporation, Lepanto Mining Co, Toronto Ventures, Philex Mining, Atlas Mining, Sumitomo Metal Mining Co, and see the havocs they have already caused to the people and the environment. That is, if these people are truly cares for our patrimony and not blinded by money.

President Noynoy Aquino and new DENR Secretary Ramon Paje can emulate Gov. Fuentes to prove their worth. ###