Mining firms audit report out Wednesday

Environment Secretary Gina Lopez. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA

THE DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will announce today (Wednesday) the final results and recommendations of an environmental audit of mining firms.

Environment Secretary Gina Lopez said the agency will not only decide whether or not to suspend mining operations of the  companies found to have violated regulations but it will also lay down “recommendations” on what the  firms should do for their community.

“Whatever the results of the audit… these are the standards of mining in our country. So I want to do it really well,” Lopez told reporters Tuesday.

“It’s not just saying whether or not it can be done, but we will give recommendations for the area, the best possible (options) that can be done for the area for the benefit of the people,” she said.

Lopez said she would have a full-day meeting with 10 of the audit teams today.

“The results will be out in the afternoon,” she said.

Lopez had ordered the mining audit to see whether or not mining companies complied with environmental, health and safety standards.

The DENR has so far suspended 10 mining companies: Citinickel; EMIR Mineral Resources Corp.; Mt. Sinai Mining Exploration Corp.; Claver Mineral Development Corp.; Ore Asia Mining and Development Corp.; Berong Nickel; Benguet Corp. Nickel Mines Inc.; Eramen Minerals Inc.; LNL Archipelago Minerals Inc.; and Zambales Diversified Metals Corp.

Four companies have been issued show-cause orders to explain why they should not be shut down, namely Sagittarius Mines Inc.; Semirara Mining and Power Corp.; Century Communities Inc.; and Austral-Asia Link Mining Corp.