The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) revealed that mining operations are prohibited to expand without proper rehabilitation for previous mine sites to continue the agency’s advocacy on responsible mining.
“In a feasibility study of one mining company, they are allowed only to disturb 50 hectares [of] any given time. They cannot open a new area until the 50 hectares where they have mined have been rehabilitated,” said Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Director Atty. Wilfredo Moncano in a Philippine Daily Inquirer report.
According to an audit report by the Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC), there had been lax compliance with the maximum disturbed area policy.
“We addressed this by limiting the maximum areas. This means rehabilitation and re-vegetation starts sooner in mining operations,” Moncano said in the same report.
Moreover, the DENR called for stricter compliance of mining companies to collect subsoil and topsoil.
“Noong una kasi, ‘yung iresponsableng mining companies, itutulak lang ‘yan [topsoil and subsoil] sa gilid ng slopes, mapupunta sa waterways causing the discoloration of the rivers. Ngayon, mandated na sila to collect these topsoil,” Moncano was quoted saying.
The MGB also pushed for the establishment of an environmental enforcement task force to further strengthen the call for responsible mining. This will operate alongside provincial environmental and natural resources offices and community environment and natural resources offices.
