Bishop miffed by Palace stand re Lafayette

Arroyo’s stand favoring mining miffs bishop
‘What’s use of study if she doesn’t follow it?’
By Christian V. Esguerra
Philippine Daily Inquirer May 22, 2006
http://news.inq7.net/archive_article/index.php?ver=0&index=1&story_id=76557

THE HEAD OF THE fact-finding body that investigated Australian mining operations on Rapu-Rapu Island yesterday said he would write a “strongly worded” letter to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo if she ignores the panel’s recommendation to stop mining on the island.

Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes chaired a nine-member commission that looked into the Rapu-Rapu mining operations in Albay province following two incidents of tailings spills that residents had blamed for fish kills in their area.

“If she will not follow our recommendations, I will write a letter, a strongly worded letter … What is the use of having a study if she does not follow it?” the Roman Catholic prelate said in an interview over the Church-run Radio Veritas.

The Bastes commission had called on the government to cancel the environmental compliance certificate issued to Lafayette, stop mining operations in Rapu-Rapu and review the Mining Act, especially its provisions on ownership and management of mining companies and operations.

Lafayette said the commission’s report was “unscientific and flawed.”
In a statement, the company said the commission “disregarded several independently conducted scientific studies saying that there was no mercury contamination of the coastal areas of Sorsogon (province). But the report insisted that the fish scare was true and was caused by Lafayette.”

Bishop Bastes made his statements when asked on Veritas for his reaction to Malacañang’s “rejection” of his panel’s recommendations.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye had said that banning mining was not the answer to the problem and that it would be “a disservice to our people if our full mineral potential is not realized as this is clearly a source of employment and development.”

Bastes clarified that the commission was not against mining “per se” but only against the conduct of Lafayette’s operations in Rapu-Rapu.
“There is a possibility that in other places in the Philippines, the situation is different so mining should go ahead,” Bastes said. “But in this particular case (Rapu-Rapu), definitely we want them to stop.”
A central concern raised by the commission was the purported presence of acid mine drainage (AMD) in the mining area, which Bastes said “brings heavy toxic metals to the sea and to all the water areas.”

In the report, the commission expressed concern over whether Lafayette was able to control AMD or was, in fact, “aggravating AMD and all its harsh effects.”

The commission noted that “subaquaeous deposition,” the means adopted by the company to prevent the presence of AMD, was not used in hilly terrains like Rapu-Rapu. Citing a number of scientific studies, it said the system was effective only in flat terrain.

“Lafayette designed strategies without yet thoroughly understanding the nature and potentials of AMD in its mine site, in particular, and in the Rapu-Rapu environment, in general,” the commission said.
“This is a serious problem that must not be taken lightly,” Bastes said.

Mining companies elated
The prelate also disputed claims that mining would greatly spur the economy.

He said local residents, like those of Rapu-Rapu, received no share from the benefits of mining in their areas unlike people in other countries.
“How can we say that with this kind of practice, mining is the savior of the economy and the country?” the bishop said.

In a statement, the Chamber of Mines lauded the government for “continuously supporting the mining industry.”

“The decision allowing foreign investments in the industry would ensure the flow of $10 billion in investments into the economy with the planned expansion of existing projects and the operation of new ones,” chamber president Benjamin Philip Romualdez said in a statement.

Clear signal
Canadian firm Toronto Ventures Inc., one of the biggest foreign firms in the country which operates a gold project in Zamboanga del Norte province, said the government could now focus on the effective regulation and implementation of the mining law.

“The government’s position sends a clear and welcome signal to the international community that the Philippines is committed to attracting mineral explorers and developers who can bring in major investments but who also subscribe to the principles of sustainable development,” TVI said in a statement.

Romualdez said Philippine mining laws already included best-practice guidelines and standards to address the environment, health and safety concerns of communities that host mining projects.

“It is important that close monitoring of mining activities is in place and this is where other stakeholders can contribute,” Romualdez said.
Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp., which has received fresh funding toward reviving its copper mines in Toledo, Cebu, said its experience had shown that mining projects could boost the economy in the form of jobs, taxes and community projects.

“We support Malacañang’s desire for responsible mining, which means sustainable development with care for the environment and the safety of our miners,” Atlas president Alfredo Ramos said.

Lafayette statement
In its statement sent to the Inquirer, Lafayette said the Bastes commission relied on “anti-mining theories and feel.”

“It boggles the mind how a hoax is given credence while the work of independent scientists is disregarded,” Lafayette said.

“Besides, how can we cause mercury contamination across the sea (the Rapu-Rapu project is in Albay) when we don’t use mercury and Rapu-Rapu itself has no mercury problem?”

Lafayette said the commission even admitted that although the basis of its findings “made by different groups may not be conclusive and need further studies to connect to observed immediate effects of the tailings incidents, the commission feels that there is a high probability of connection … (resulting in) health, environmental and economic problems to the people of Rapu-Rapu and nearby coastal municipalities of Albay and Sorsogon.”

The company said fact-finding bodies “should not go by feel and probability … because so much is at stake -- the interest of the 1,000 employees of the company and their families, the host communities, the allied businesses to be generated in the Bicol region and the whole country in terms of taxes and investor confidence.”