DENR shuts down illegal Negros town gold mines

CEBU CITY—The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has ordered the closure of gold mining and processing operations in Santa Catalina town, Negros Oriental province, for violating mining and environmental laws.

Loreto Alburo, MGB director for Central Visayas, said the mining operations were illegal and violated Executive Order No. 79 issued by President Aquino.

Alburo said the regional MGB found workers using mercury, which is banned by EO 79.

He said the mines on  at least 500 hectares in three communities in Santa Catalina were also found to be using rod mills without permits.

Prior to the issuance of the MGB order, Alburo said MGB officials attended a dialogue on Aug. 14 at the municipal hall with 60 of the mining operators led by Raul Lapu,  town officials led by Mayor Nathaniel Electona, and village chief Abundio Amil Jr.

In the meeting, the mining operators were informed that there would be a closure order.

Amil said the barangay (village) had padlocked the rod mills in May but the operators forcibly opened these.

The MGB also took into consideration a petition started by a certain Jezebel Tilos, addressed to the mayor and signed by at least 100 residents, demanding a stop to the mining operations.

The petition said the mining operations were contaminating water sources, destroying mountains and “damaging forest resources.”

Eddie Llamedo, regional spokesperson for  the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), said the DENR sought help in enforcing the MGB order from the military and police.

Llamedo said that  once the mining operations were shut down, the MGB would conduct a detailed study of the area’s mining potential.

After the study, he said, the DENR would help small-scale miners acquire permits for the area to be declared as a “people’s small-scale mining area.”

“We will implement corrective measures there. We also want to help them. We will help them have a safe facility for small-scale mining,” he said.

Llamedo said EO 79 allows small-scale mining in areas declared as sites for “people’s mines.”