By Thet Mesias
TUBA, Benguet -- Philex
Mining Corporation is set
to engage the communities near its Padcal Mine for short-term restoration and
long-term rehabilitation of waterways affected by the recent tailings leak at
its mine site in this province.
The move is in line with the company’s
environmental rehabilitation and remediation efforts while working closely with
its stakeholders and the local government units involved, Philex Mining
President and COO Eulalio Austin, Jr. said.
Victor Francisco, vice-president for
Community Relations at Philex Mining, said the company has been talking with
the households situated along the tributaries in SitioPambasan, Barangay
Dalupirip, Itogon town, to join the cleanup and rehabilitation drive in parts
of Balog Creek and Agno River.
“The locals are more knowledgeable of
the terrains and geographic characteristics of the affected areas,” he said,
“so they can help our employee-volunteers fast track the cleanup work in Balog
Creek.”
Philex Mining deployed a four-team
cleanup task force early this month to work on clearing pathways and trails, in
order to give its over 400 employee-volunteers access to Balog Creek and Agno
River.
When the cleanup is done, Philex Mining
will start developing projects and activities in the neighboring communities,
which residents may use for their livelihood and in generating other sources of
income.
Besides creating friendlier trails, the
task force also set up satellite offices as repository of various resources for
the cleanup drive, as well as silt traps and tram lines for hauling of the
tailings collected from the creek. These mechanisms are also useful for
shoveling of silts from the riverbed and off the riverbanks, and gathering
these tailings into sacks for hauling onto a temporary sediment impounding
area.
While heavy rains in the past few days
contributed to the difficulty of transporting materials through the challenging
terrain, Philex Mining set up four satellite offices to look after the needs of
the employee-volunteers and run the whole operation.
Austin has noted the willingness of
Philex Mining employees to be part of the cleanup drive, as they first went
downstream early this month to start cleaning the tributaries despite the bad
weather and rugged terrains.
“The spirit of volunteerism is very
evident,” said Mildred Daz, the company’s budget manager for Padcal projects
and who is currently one of the managers-in-charge in Philex Mining’s
Environment Command Post, at Padcal Mine. “You can tell how these people love
the company. They don’t want to be mere spectators; they want part of the
responsibility.”
Emilia Tabula, the company’s division
manager for General Services, said the cleanup team has braved the rains and
the muddy, slippery, and steep trails going to Balog Creek, with its members
usually staying at their designated cleanup sites for up to four days, after
which another batch of volunteers replaces them.
Tabula, who is in-charge of Philex
Mining’s Satellite Offices, said all employee-volunteers have been provided
with complete personal protective equipment (PPE) after undergoing complete
medical screening to ensure that they are fit to work, and receiving thorough
briefing on safety precautions.
Philex Mining voluntarily stopped
operations at Padcal Mine at midnight of August 1, following the accidental
discharge of water and sediments from its Tailings Pond No. 3.
The company has immediately reorganized its
personnel and resources to focus on the rehabilitation of its tailings pond and
the protection of the environment.
It has been reported and confirmed by
both internal and external experts and government officials that the tailings
are non-toxic, and that no injuries have been reported as a result of the
incident.
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