Senator Leila De Lima filed a measure to stop black sand mining activities as she claimed it causes environmental damage while placing people’s health at peril.
Senate Bill 1075 or also known as Anti-Black Sand Mining Act imposes hefty fines and stiff penalties against those who would be found guilty of engaging in black sand mining activities.
Violators will be sentenced to six years to 12 years of imprisonment. They will also be fined around P1 million to P10 million if caught.
De Lima said that a law which directly addresses this practice has yet to be passed though there are three existing laws in the country on black sand mining.
She cited the situation in Cagayan province where the effects of illegal mining of black sand are apparent, such as the crumbling houses in which the sand underneath is getting eroded; the lessening harvests as the fields were inundated by saltwater; and the suffering fisherfolk due to reduced catch.
“One of the areas affected by black sand mining operations showed a growing number of cases of skin and lung diseases attributed to the black sand mining and noted other related diseases such as severe eye irritation and hernia,” De Lima was quoted in a Senate press release.
As mandated in SB 1075, all dredging permits should require all dredge equipment collected in sites where balck sands exist will be disposed on government-controlled dredgefills.
It shall also require a prior certification from the Mining and Geosciences Bureau, and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on whether black sand or magnetites exist in the proposed mining sites.
