By ALMA SINUMLAG
www.nordis.net

LA TRINIDAD,‭ ‬Benguet‭ ‬–‭ ‬The committee on Environment and Mining of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan‭ (‬SP‭) ‬in their session,‭ ‬December‭ ‬20‭ ‬requested the Department of Environment and Natural Resources‭ (‬DENR‭) ‬to furnish them with all documents pertaining to the mining exploration permit application of Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corporation in the Province.

It will be recalled that on November‭ ‬24‭ ‬this year,‭ ‬the SP recieved a letter from Pablito Ong,‭ ‬the consultant of Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corporations transmitting the company’s exploration permit application‭ (‬EXPA-069-CAR‭) ‬located in the municipalities of Atok,‭ ‬Bakun,‭ ‬Kapangan,‭ ‬Mankayan,‭ ‬Buguias and Kibungan.‭ ‬In their two-year exploration work program,‭ ‬it was stated that the exploration covers a total land area of‭ ‬3,693‭ ‬hectares.‭

The exploration project according to the company’s environmental work program‭ (‬EMP‭) ‬states that it is primarily exploration in nature and is aimed at the evaluation of Copper,‭ ‬Gold and associated metal resources.‭ ‬Moreover,‭ ‬it also aims for possitive results that could mean further development,‭ ‬expoitation and utilization of the metal resource.

The committee on Environment and Mining stipulated in their report that the SP has no power to intervene in the exploration,‭ ‬development and utilization of all mineral resources owned by the state.‭ ‬And,‭ ‬that the DENR is the primary agency responsible for the said issue.‭

However,‭ ‬the SP according to the committee may intervene to determine compliance with the requisites laid down by the Republic Act‭ ‬8371‭ ‬also known as the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act‭ (‬IPRA‭)‬.‭ ‬This is specifically on the process of the free prior and informed consent‭ (‬FPIC‭) ‬of the Indigenous Peoples‭ (‬IP‭) ‬in the affected communities before the Mines and Geosciences Bureau‭ (‬MGB‭) ‬issue the company’s exploration permit.

Likewise,‭ ‬the committee requested the municipalities concerned to comment on the issue.

On the other hand,‭ ‬it is stipulated in their EMP that the application is divided into three parcels.‭ ‬The‭ ‬1st parcel is within the municipality of Bakun,‭ ‬the‭ ‬2nd is located within the municipalities of Kibungan,‭ ‬Kapangan and Atok and the third is within the municipalities of Buguias and Mankayan.

Furthermore,‭ ‬the land applied for is classified as forest land but large tracts of the area are now used for vegetable farming and small scale mining as reported over the years.‭ ‬Also,‭ ‬rice terraces are common specially in parcel‭ ‬3.‭

In their EMP,‭ ‬it is also stated that exploration activities like geological mapping and sampling,‭ ‬test pitting/trenching and drilling will have adverse environmental effects like,‭ ‬though minor,‭ ‬surface disturbance,‭ ‬loss of vegetation,‭ ‬siltation and erosion,‭ ‬water and soil contamination,‭ ‬acid mine drainage,‭ ‬and loss of fauna due to the noise.‭

However,‭ ‬it was also stipulated that these will be mitigated through minimizing the removal of shrubs and bushes,‭ ‬restoring and revegetating areas affected by the transport materials,‭ ‬selecting the less vegetated areas for test pits and providing proper drain channels and siltation traps.

The two-year exploration work program will cost P25,000,000.00‭ ‬and their EMP will cost the company,‭ ‬P2,500,000.00.‭ ‬The amounts stated do not include labor costs.‭ ‬#‭nordis.net