Category Archives: Forum

Oct5

A Small Victory

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Standard

A forum on open pit mining was held on 23 September 2011 at South Cotabato Gym and Cultural Center.  Gov. Arthur “Dodo” Y. Pingoy, Jr. facilitated it.

Experts of Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI) presented their Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for 2 ½ hours.

Next the Diocese of Marbel’s experts fromLondon,United KingdomandManilagave their critique of the EIA and EIS for 1 ½ hours.

Open forum followed.

Then Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez gave his own criticism for five minutes.  He was allowed 30 minutes.

 Governor Pingoy gave the final remarks.

Findings

  1. Open pit mining is very destructive.  It destroys rainforests (1,300 has.), biodiversity (about 1,000 species), human and cultural rights of the B’laans in Tampakan (South Cotabato), Malungon (Sarangani), Colombio (Sultan Kudarat) and Kiblawan (Davao del Sur).  Beside it threatens food security, human lives and peace and order.
  2. Perpetual maintenance of the structures after closure of mining operations is the responsibility of the Government and local stakeholders: open pit, 500 has. to be replanted with grasses and shrubs (no trees?); Waste Rock Storage facility, 500 has.; Tailings Storage Facility, 1,300 has,; and Fresh Water Dam, capacity: 215,000ML; among others.  This is very unfair.  Xstrata (Switzerland) and Indophils (Australia) would take the copper and gold out of the country and leave the garbage here!  And we take care of these structures in perpetuity?! Forever and ever!!!
  3.  How will SMI prevent poisonous chemicals (arsenic, lead, zinc, etc.) from seeping down into the shallow aquifers (50-100 meters deep) of Koronadal valley?  No satisfactory answer.
  4. What will happen if the Fresh Water Dam, constructed with rocks and earth only, burst?  Where will the escaping water go?  No satisfactory answer.
  5. Where is the plan to reforest the mountain, which is a watershed?  There is none.

Xstrata/SMI Engineers wrote: “The Tampakan Mine has a high potential for loss of life and high environmental damage if a failure of dams or Rock Storage facilities occurs.

“How many human lives will be lost?  Have you quantified these?”  asked British Expert Clive Montgomery Wicks, of the Working Group on Mining in thePhilippines–UK.  NO answer from SMI.

 

CONCLUSION

Governor Arthur “Dodo” Y. Pingoy, Jr. said:  “I WILL IMPLEMENT THE ENVIRONMENT CODE OF SOUTH COTABATO BANNING OPEN PIT MINING!  Thunderous applauses and cheers from the crowd of more than 6,000, mostly anti-mining advocates.

Thank you, Lord.  Thanks to all for your prayers especially the cloistered nuns:  Trappistines, Poor Clares, Passionists.