Sunday, August 27, 2006
Mines bureau acts on abandoned mining sites
By Maricar Aranas
THE Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) assured that it has started acting on the fate of abandoned mines nationwide including those in Negros Oriental.
DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes, who was in Dumaguete City recently for a ceremonial tree planting, said the mining operations should not have been abandoned by their operators without rehabilitating the mining sites to prevent environmental hazards and disasters particularly during the rainy season.
In Negros Oriental, one of the mines abandoned without rehabilitating the site is in Basay, which was built at the height of the Marcos dictatorship.
Mining companies, Reyes said, have to observe guidelines on rehabilitating their mining sites once they closed operation.
Mines bureau regional director Roger de Dios said the DENR has been scheduled to rehabilitate seven mining areas in the country, which had been abandoned by their operators.
The seven include Basay mine, which the mines bureau team has visited to assess its rehabilitation needs.
De Dios said starting this year, all mining companies are required to prepare a de-commissioning and rehabilitation plan before they end mining operations.
(August 27, 2006 issue)
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