Philippines Update

Philippines Update

15th July 2006

The 30 day trial period of operation at Lafayette's Rapu Rapu mine has now started, and as you would expect the decision continues to be very controversial, with the chair of the government's own Commission that it set up to investigate the previous cyanide spills being particularly critical. The government's Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has since agreed to test tailing ponds and waste dumps of other mines as the rainy season sets in, to allay the fears of many, but how transparent this process will be is open to question. With those fears in mind there have been warnings of further potential problems on Marinduque from the containment facilities of the closed Placer Dome mine. There are further reports on a province wide conference in Zamboanga del Norte on the activities of TVI Philippines, and on the recent demolition of a residence in the way of the mine's expansion. Finally, following the arguments of the damage from quarrying "Tea Rose" marble at the culturally important site at Biak-na-Bato, it now appears that the company involved has had its operations suspended.