MORE NEWS, QUIRINO

MGB exec:No Dipidio mining pollution
BY LUIS JOSE

CABARROGUIS, Quirino -- To allay fears that the Didipio mining project in the upland town of Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya would pollute irrigation waters, the Cagayan Valley office of the Mining and Geosciences Bureau said the mining project is safe and will not cause water pollution.

Reacting to negative reports, Cagayan Valley MGB Director Jerry Mangaoang said the Didipio gold-copper project of Oceana-Gold-Philippines at the border of Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino Province has been found to be operationally safe.

It was also claimed that the project was in a critical watershed.

Citing provisions of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, Mangaoang defined “Critical watershed” as a drainage area of a river system, lake or reservoir supporting existing and proposed hydroelectric power, domestic water supply, geothermal power and irrigation works, which needs immediate rehabilitation and protection to minimize soil erosion, improved water yield, and prevent possible flooding.

“Through a legislative act, a watershed may become a ‘proclaimed watershed forest reserve” and only then it would be closed to mining,” Mangaoang said.

The Addalam River catchment area covers 86,200 hectares, and the Didipio project, located within the Addalam catchment, covers only 106 hectares or 0.1 percent of the total catchment area. It’s consequent net input into the catchment is neglible, said Mangaoang.

Oceana-Gold-Philippines was granted exploration and development rights to its gold and copper concessions at Didipio.

The project is located at the mountainous and remote border of Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino Provinces where the people rely mainly on rice farming, alluvial gold planning and slash-and-burn (kaingin) farming for source of livelihood and income.

The immediate vicinity of the project and a big portion of the valley have long been cleared of trees by logging concessions. While there are still patched of second-growth forest, the trees at the other portions are now being felled to give way to kaingin farming.

The Forest Management Bureau has issued to OceanaGold a certification stating that Didipio does not fall in a government-proclaimed watershed.

“The government, through DENR, would not have issued OceanGold a Financial Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) or Environmental Compliance Certificate if the project fell inside a proclaimed watershed, or a critical watershed,” Mangaoang said.

The land classification of the area occupied by Didipio project is fimberland, alienable and disposable..

Many properties are covered by private titles, and there were no certificate of ancestral domain claims in the area.

The Addalam River Irrigation Project, under construction some 32 km downstream, is expected to be completed by 2010.

“Because the Didipio project is only 0.1 percent of the total catchment area, its operation will have no adverse effect on the irrigation project,” an OceanaGold executive said.