Mining woes

EDITORIAL

There is much to be desired on how the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Geo-Sciences Board are addressing deterioration of the environment as a result of destructive mining practices.    

Much of the heat from environmental groups have been focused on large-scale mining companies, but then, it is turning out, even small-scale mining is posing adverse danger to the environment.

In the Cordillera, provinces where SSM is practiced are Benguet and Mountain Province. The banner story on page 1 of this issue is testament to the fact that rivers are now being contaminated by toxic effluents from SSM sites slowly obliterating marine life.

If no remedial measures are done to mitigate the flow of toxic materials from SSM sites, there may come a time when rare indigenous species like the gadew fish will become extinct.

The Chico River where water from SSM sites converge, may soon be polluted despite efforts of environmental groups to preserve its cleanliness. The Chico gets most of its water from Mountain Province watersheds, flows down to Kalinga, passes through the Cagayan Valley and out to the Pacific Ocean.

 In Benguet as elsewhere in the country where large and small scale mining are practiced, most of water bodies near these areas have been polluted.

It is a sad fact, according to environmentalists who have made studies, that government has not properly addressed pollution and contamination of the environment as a result of mining.

True, mining gives livelihood to some people and hefty profits to a few, but then again, according to cause oriented groups, its destructive effects outweigh the benefits.

Somehow, if there is such a thing as “safe mining,” stringent efforts must be made by government to implement laws and regulations related to this. Otherwise, if destructive mining practices would go on, there may come a time when most of this country’s rivers and water bodies would be contaminated with toxic materials which could render death to the unaware.