Philex now in operation despite NGO opposition

TUBA, Benguet – Despite opposition of cause-oriented groups, Philex Mining Corp. resumed operations after over eight months since it was ordered closed by the Geo-Sciences Board due to collapse of its tailings dam.

The country’s largest gold and copper producer for years, resumed mining and milling operations in its Padcal mines March 8 following lifting of cease and desist order issued by the Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB) of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in relation to the leak at tailings pond No. 3 last August 1.

Engineer Libby Ricafort, Philex vice president for operations and resident manager, said all its 1,500 underground and surface workers are now deployed in three shifts while their more than 500 office workers went back to their normal course of duty after the mines started operations.

“We are happy that government regulators were able to witness the sincerity and dedication of the company to comply with the various conditions imposed to address the accidental leak of our tailings pond,” Ricafort told the Manila Standard after the company received the order lifting the cease and desist order.

Under the aforesaid order lifting the cease and desist order, Philex will temporarily operate for four months in order to generate around 2.5 million fresh tails to be used for the on-going remediation and rehabilitation of its tailings pond No. 3 and to move water way from the embankment of the tailings pond.

After the 4-month temporary operation period, the order stated that the EMB shall commission an independent evaluation team to validate and assess Philex’s compliance to the remediation and rehabilitation of its damaged      tailings pond and the affected Balog creek and Agno river and that its findings and recommendations will guide government regulators whether or not to allow the full scale mining operations in its Padcal mines.

“Philex will continue to comply with the additional conditionalities to be imposed by the government regulators in order for the company to be in full operation by the second semester of this year,” lawyer Eduardo M. Aratas, Philex’s legal counsel, stressed, citing that the company will still continue constructing the required spillway that will serve as the passage way of clear water from the mine site to the Balog creek as it will still maintain the operation of its Penstock Be during the rainy season prior to the completion of the spillway.

Aratas also disclosed Philex is constructing its tailings pond No. 4 which is one kilometer upstream of its damaged tailings pond No. 3 and that is capable of carrying tails for five to seven years operation of the mining company.

Since the company stopped operation last August due to the accidental leak of non-toxic water and sediments from its tailings pond No. 3, Aratas revealed the company has already spent around P5 billion to implement the required remediation and rehabilitation projects that resulted to the plugging of the leak at Penstock A, the clearing of Balog creek and the losses it incurred over the past eight months.

“We will use the chance given to us to patch up things in preparation for our full operation after we have complied with all the conditions of our government regulators,” Aratas stressed, citing that everyone in the min site is happy to go back to work and perform their assigned duties and responsibilities.