The government has started tightening the screws on miners, as widely feared with the appointment of known anti-mining advocate Regina Paz L. Lopez as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Regulators have suspended the operations of two large-scale mining companies in Zambales, effectively stopping all mining activities in the province, a declared mineral-reservation area.
The preventive suspension order was jointly issued against the Benguet Corp. Nickel Mines Inc. (BCNMI) and Zambales Diversified Nickel Corp. (ZDNC) by three regional officials of the DENR in Central Luzon—Francisco E. Milla Jr., Lope O. Cariño Jr. of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), and Lormelyn E. Claudio of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB).
On July 1 the provincial government of Zambales issued an order stopping all mining operations in the province. The order, however, affects only small-scale mining, as large-scale mining falls under the jurisdiction of the national government through the DENR, or the Mining Industry Coordinating Council.
MGB Director Leo L. Jasareno said the order, dated July 7, was due to the numerous complaints against mining operations in the province coming from concerned residents and other stakeholders.
The order took effect immediately.
This is the first to be issued against “irresponsible” mining companies under the administration of President Duterte and Lopez, who earlier declared that mining will undergo strict regulatory process.
“The preventive suspension order against BCNMI and ZDNC was issued in view of the writ of kalikasan issued by the Supreme Court [SC], Executive Order 1 issued by the governor of Zambales, and the numerous complaints aired by concerned residents and other stakeholders against mining operation in the province,” Jasareno said.
“In order to ensure that the environment, particularly the communities, farmlands and water bodies are not in any way compromised as a result of the mining operations, pursuant to the pertinent mining and environmental laws, your operations in Santa Cruz, Zambales, are hereby suspended immediately…,” the order stated.
The companies were ordered to address issues arising from tree-cutting and earth-balling operations; complete the construction of an exclusive mine- haul road; rehabilitate mined-out areas, deposit Final Mine Rehabilitation/Decommissioning funds; compensate towns and rehabilitate their affected farmlands, fishponds, including water bodies; and repair all damaged portions of the roads affected by their operations.
The MGB suspended the two mining companies for nine months, starting July 2014, for violation of environmental and mining laws.
To recall, the MGB ordered the suspension of four mining companies, including Zambales Diversified Metals Corp., BenguetCorp Nickel Mines Inc., Eramen Minerals Inc. and Lnl Archipelago Minerals Inc., which stemmed from an earlier show-cause order, requiring the companies to defend their unsystematic mining or stripping method in their respective mining areas following numerous complaints aired by community stakeholders in Zambales.
The suspension order against ZDMC and BCNMI were temporarily lifted last year after substantial compliance of corrective measures ordered by the DENR-MGB.
On June 21 the SC en banc issued a writ of kalikasan against five mining companies operating in Zambales.
Aside from BCNMI and ZDMC, also ordered to defend themselves against allegations of causing environmental degradations were Eranmen Minerals Inc., LNL Archipelago Minerals Inc. and Shangil Mining and Trading Corp.