DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / May 16, 2013) – The Philippine environmental group Alyansa Tigil Mina and its international partners questioned the Mines and Geosciences Bureau decision to allow the Siana Mines operation to continue in Surigao del Norte province despite historical reports of mine flooding and underground fire.
The group is also wary over the silence of the MGB pertaining to recent reports of land instability in mines since last month.
An earlier news release by Siana Mines owner, Red5 Limited, stated that due to the instability of the tailings dam, the milling operations have been suspended.
“This is very terrible that the government has been very careless in its issuances to mining companies. Unfortunately, as in the earlier years of mines, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and MGB seem to have forgotten their role to ensure that the environment is secure in balancing this destructive and exploitative industry,” Jaybee Garganera, national coordinator of Alyansa Tigil Mina, said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
Further research by members of ATM led to the knowledge that the Siana Mines was previously abandoned by Surigao Consolidated Mining Company which was first opened in the 1940s. However, it closed down during World War II and was reopened in 1946, producing 4,800 kg of gold and 8,000 kg of silver. It was closed down again due to mine flooding and underground fire.
The abandoned mine site was not rehabilitated until Red5 Limited secured a mining permit in 2002. It was granted an Environmental Compliance Certificate in April 2009 despite a prior scheduled Final Mine Rehabilitation and Decommissioning Plan expected late May of the same year.
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