Australian mining firm told to pay P10.7-M fine

First posted 02:31pm (Mla time) June 13, 2006
By Blanche Rivera
Inquirer

http://news.inq7.net/archive_article/index.php?ver=1&index=1&story_id=4723

ENVIRONMENT Secretary Angelo Reyes on Monday said that it would allow Lafayette Mining Corp. to operate for a 30-day test run but only after paying its 10.7 million pesos fine.

Reyes during a press conference said that a temporary lifting order would be issued for the Australian mining firm to resume operations on Rapu-rapu island, 380 kilometers southeast of Manila, only if it would put up the 10.7 million pesos as an escrow deposit.

“Before, during and after the test run, certain conditions would have to met,” Reyes said. “After the company complies with all these conditions the final lifting order shall be issued to Lafayette for its resume full operations.”

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources had slapped Lafayette with a 10.7-million pesos fine for violating the Clean Water Act when it released waste water with mine tailings after its dams could no longer contain the volume during the rainy season in October and November last year. Fish in the waters in and around the Rapu-Rapu island-municipality died off.

(1 dollar = 53.308 pesos)