The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is set to conduct a public hearing on January 17 to discuss the Environmental Compliance Certification (ECC) application of Cebu-based Citadel Mining Corp. (CMC) for its mine site in Davao City.
DENR Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) Director William P. Cuñado expressed in a BusinessWorld report that the hearing will address the environmental impact statement (EIS) of the proposed Danao Pozzolan Mining Project and the impacts and mitigating measures of the mining operations.
“Pagkatapos doon sa public hearing, kung mai-submit na ‘yung mga output nila, then mag-schedule ulit ng technical hearing. The timeline will depend on the project proponent’s compliance… we cannot dictate the compliance of the company,” Cuñado stated in the report.
Located at barangays Cabungahan, Manlayag, Sta. Rosa, and Guinacot in Danao City, the project will cover 102.1 hectares out of the 336.3782 hectares per the Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) awarded to the firm on April 10, 2000.
The proposed method for the project is surface mining through quarrying.
“CMC has not considered any alternative project site. For the mining method, given the nature of the deposit, the result of the initial feasibility conducted, drilling or geologic results and environmental considerations, the most suitable method of extraction is by open-cut quarry method,” CMC expressed in its EIS.
Upon the approval of the project, the first year of implementation will be a pre-construction stage which will involve technical design and finalization of quarry plans, construction of facilities, soil investigation, and securing of needed permits.
For its second year of implementation, it has a scheduled construction and site preparation which will include, among others, site clearing, development of roads and drainage lines, and preparation of the loading pad and benches.
Mineral extraction will also commence on the second year of implementation.
At the end of the mine life, which typically runs for 10 years, the company shall rehabilitate the remaining mined-out areas and settling ponds, decommission quarry ancillary facilities, implement social programs, and donate buildings to interested local government units.
