Three mining firms to be closed
Three mining firms that appealed closure orders issued last year have failed a review and will be shuttered, the Environment department confirmed on Friday.
Resolutions issued by Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu on November 12 identified the three firms to be closed as Surigao del Norte-based Claver Mineral Development Corp., Oriental Synergy Mining Corp. in the Dinagat Islands and Ore Asia Mining and Development Corp. in Bulacan.
Up for suspension instead of closure, meanwhile, are Dinagat Islands-based AAMPHIL Natural Resources and Development Corp., Krominco, Inc., Libjo Mining Corp. and Wellex Mining Corp.; Carrascal Nickel Corp. in Surigao del Sur; Zambales Diversified Metals Corp. in Zambales; and Emir Mineral Resources Corp. and Mt. Sinai Exploration and Development Corp. in Samar.
Rounding out the list of nine is Strongbuilt Mining Development Corp., whose suspension was affirmed by the review, which was conducted by teams commissioned by the interagency Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC).
Environment Undersecretary Benny Antiporda said the suspended companies could still appeal to Office of the President or resolve their violations by undertaking corrective measures.
“These nine companies need to come up to a mitigation plan within six months. They need to re-think how they operate their mines before we allow them to resume on their operations. If they fail again, we will be pushed to close their business,” Antiporda told The Manila Times.
The DENR has directed the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and the Pollution Adjudication Board to facilitate the immediate and complete payment of all fines and penalties for the violations committed by these companies.
It also said that no transport of ore would be allowed until full rehabilitation was undertaken.
The MICC-ordered review covered 26 mining firms ordered closed or suspended last year by then Environment Secretary Regina Lopez.
Companies were assessed on the basis of legal, technical, environmental, social, and economic aspects, with practices to be scored from zero (not acceptable), one (major reforms needed), two (minor corrections needed) to three (acceptable).
Claver, Oriental Synergy and Ore Asia were said to be the “most problematic” with three or more scores below the passing grade of 1.5.
“[Environment] Secretary Roy Cimatu issued [an] order affirming the cancellation of the MPSAs (mineral production sharing agreements)/denial of MPSA application of these companies,” the Environment department said.
Majority of the companies still need to “continue and scale up” improvements in their technical and environmental management practices, it added.
The review, however, noted that “there had been efforts by at least half of the companies to rectify and correct inappropriate practices.”
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