APRIL 14, 2014

NR # 3436B

House to probe mining companies

A lawmaker has filed a measure seeking a congressional inquiry into the recurring environmental problems involving foreign and local mining companies in the country. Rep. Mel Sarmiento (1st istrict! "estern Samar# authored $ouse Resolution %&'! which urges the $ouse (ommittee on )cology to include in its probe the unabated black sand mining in *u+on. Sarmiento also called on the concerned government agencies to strictly implement the environmental laws and monitor the activities of foreign and local mining companies. , espite e-travagant showcases of responsible mining operations! mining companies have violated the country.s environmental laws!/ Sarmiento said. Sarmiento said mining disasters occurred in the country in 1%%0! 1%%%! 1''& and 1'11. $e noted that a total of 1.& million cubic meters of to-ic mine tailing from Marcopper Mining (orp. were disgorged into the Maculapnit and 2oac Rivers in Marinduque on March 13! 1%%0. 4n August 1%%%! the Atlas Mining evelopment (orp. discharged &.5 million cubic meters of acidic wastewater into the Sapangkau River in 6oledo (ity! (ebu. 6he *afayette 4nc. spilled mine tailings with cyanide! which caused fish kills! paraly+ing the livelihood of poor fishermen in Rapu7rapu! Albay and some fishing villages in Sorsogon. Some 1' million metric tons of sediment from the tailing pond of 8hile- Mining (orp. in 6uba! 2enguet flowed into water channels in August 1'11. ,After months of recurring leakages! the 8hile- mine spills had become the biggest mining disaster in the 8hilippines in terms of volume!/ Sarmiento said. Sarmiento stressed the urgent need for the government to address the prevalent problems resulting from non7compliance of mining companies with environmental laws in all stages of their operations. (9'# mrs