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DESPITE
a continuing clamor for the mine’s permanent closure,
the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
on Thursday granted the motion of Lafayette Philippines
Incorporated to permanently lift its suspension order
issued after the company’s Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic
Project in Rapu-Rapu Island, Albay, spilled toxic waste
in surrounding waters.
Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes, who also heads the
department’s Pollution Adjudication Board, issued the
lift order Thursday amid calls for his department to
look into the mysterious death of five residents of
Rapu-Rapu.
This
means that Lafayette can start operating commercially
effective Thursday, after the issuance of the permanent
lifting order, although under conditions that would cost
the company an additional monthly expenditure of P150
million to comply.
Reyes
said Lafayette had fully complied with the conditions
earlier set by the department to allow it to conduct a
test run, which “in general has improved the company’s
environmental management system, comprehensive pollution
control program, resulted in the payment of surety bond
equivalent to 25 percent of the total cost of pollution
control program, interim remedial measures to mitigate
pollution pending completion of pollution control
program, employment of pollution control officer, and
the notarized undertaking of respondent’s compliance of
conditions.”
The
company also paid the P10.4-million fine levied by the
department for the period from October 11 to December
14, 2005, extended the validity of its surety bond,
completed environmental safeguards and instrumentations,
collected baseline data on the levels of naturally
occurring heavy metals in the ores, submitted the
schedule of the dam build-up for the period during the
test run, and secured permits and clearances necessary
for its operation.
On top
of the fine, the board slapped another P6-million fine
for polluting the coastal and river waters of the mine
site. This was also paid by the mining company.
On the
deaths being complained of, Reyes said these happened
far from the mines, so he thinks such ruled out the
possibility they may have been killed by any toxic
spill.
Lafayette officials earlier said the deaths were in a village 15
kilometers away from the mines.
“Lafayette had undergone rigid scrutiny. It is the only
mining company to have undergone such a very tight
monitoring. The mine was closed for 15 months and it has
gone through a 120-day test run. Lafayette went through
the proverbial needle’s eye before getting the DENR’s
lifting order,” said Reyes.
He also
said the department got substantial inputs from the
report of the Rapu-Rapu Fact Finding Commission, which
recommended the mine’s permanent closure.
The
University of the
Philippines’
Carlos David, one of the third party environmental
science and geology expert who initially recommended a
permanent shutdown, said the company’s compliance with
the conditions persuaded him to recommend its continuing
to operate.
Marcelo
Bolano, another third-party expert who examined
Lafayette’s dam in Rapu-Rapu, said the dam is “credible”
and “built to last.” |
