MinDA urges ‘thorough review’ of mining practices

DAVAO CITY — The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), the premier coordinating body for peace and development efforts in the region, batted for a “thorough review” of the practices of mining operations to prevent a similar incident in Davao Oriental when heavy rains brought siltation and discoloration in a river system last week.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has ordered the closure of the mining operation in Banaybanay town on Monday after an investigation showed that the overflow of silt from its pond caused the siltation and discoloration of the local rivers.

The Banaybanay mines are covered by a Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) between the government and Riverbend Consolidated Mining Corp. (RCMC), although these are operated by Arc Nickel Resources, Inc. (ANRI).

In a statement, newly-appointed MinDA chair, Secretary Maria Belen S. Acosta, welcomed the DENR’s immediate action.

She said the mining activities that caused the problem “indicate early signs of environmental degradation and could severely affect our river systems and coastal areas if left unchecked.”

“Economic development and environmental protection should go hand in hand. They should not cancel each other. Sustainable growth is the way to go,” Acosta explained.

She pointed out that mining activities are considered as among those that would help the economy of the country but emphasized that “some industry practices need thorough review and operations require close monitoring to prevent pollution and contamination, distortion of ecological balance and damage to water systems.”

Prior to the recent siltation incident, residents downstream complained that the water sources have been contaminated.

In a resolution in December, the municipal government of Pantukan in Davao de Oro province, a neighboring locality of Banaybanay, even urged the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to order the stoppage of the mining activities until the company can institute the needed mitigating measures.

MGB-XI Director Wilfredo Moncano told the Inquirer that heavy siltation affected the main Mapagba river as well as other smaller bodies of water in Banaybanay and Pantukan towns.

The RCMC’s MPSA stretches over 6,000 hectares, encompassing two villages of Pantukan and six villages of Banaybanay.

A 2016 environmental impact assessment showed the company’s plan to extract 9,600 wet metric tons of nickel ore per year from two mines sites for the next eight years.