Bishop admits info on mining ‘second hand’

By Bobby Labalan
Philippine Daily InquirerLast updated 01:51am (Mla time) 07/27/2006

http://newsinfo.inq7.net/inquirerheadlines/regions/
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SORSOGON CITY -- A BISHOP WHO HEADED an investigation of two mine spills in Rapu-Rapu refused to testify on the findings of his team, saying the pieces of information he had on mining on the island were all “second hand.”

Judge Raul de Leon of the Regional Trial Court Branch 52 issued a subpoena to Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes, who headed the now-defunct commission, to help the court in deciding on the motion for a temporary restraining order filed by lawyer Gil Gojol.

Bastes said he wrote the court and asked that he be excused from testifying as he was not an expert on the issue and that his information on the mining operations were all “second-hand.”

“I am not the proper person that should be asked to testify because my knowledge is not first-hand information. They should summon Charles Avila or the other members of the commission who are technical people,” he said.

The motion for a TRO was filed July 5 here, well ahead of a similar case filed in Manila by some 800 antimining advocates.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau has asked the court to deny the motion, saying it was premature.

MGB Director Horacio Ramos, in a reply sent to the court, said the test run was not an assurance that mining operation in Rapu-Rapu would be allowed to fully resume by the government.

He said the MGB was the proper government agency to determine whether or not the mining operation should be allowed to continue, and not the courts.

Gojol said he filed the case on behalf of more than 2,000 fishermen and fish vendors who claimed their livelihood suffered as a result of two waste spills from the mining operations.

Officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, led by Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes, vouched for the safety of the mining operation after inspecting the mining site and its facilities.

The Bastes commission has recommended to the government, among other things, the cancellation of the company’s environmental compliance certificate, saying mining could never be safe in Rapu-Rapu due to its fragile ecosystem.

The commission’s report was cited by Gojol in his petition and asked the court to summon Bastes to testify on the findings.

Lafayette officials, meanwhile, said the motion for TRO had no legal basis and would bring injury to the company, its employees, suppliers and the host communities.

They sought the case’s dismissal, citing technical infirmity in the case after it noted the absence of a certification of non-forum shopping

Aquinas University Study pictures of spill

Photo credits: Aquinas university

Greenpeace worker arrested in Rapu-Rapu

By Nonoy Espina
INQ7.net 7/26 /2006

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view_article.php?article_id=11878

GREENPEACE Southeast Asia (GP-SEA) protested what it described as the illegal apprehension, detention, and harassment by police of an employee of the environmentalist group that was collecting water samples from a creek near the controversial Lafayette mine site in Rapu-Rapu Island, Albay province, on Tuesday.

GP-SEA campaigns director Von Hernandez said David Andrade, who works with the group’s campaigns department, was at Rapu-Rapu to “validate recent reports of a fish kill which occurred in the area last week, and which Lafayette claims to be a case of sabotage.”

Last week, Lafayette claimed unidentified persons dumped pesticide into a creek near the mine site and later sent text messages announcing a toxic spill had occurred and was killing marine life.

An Inquirer report at the time quoted Lafayette spokesman Julito Sarmiento as calling the incident “sabotage to scare people and is no different from the mercury hoax anti-mining and leftist groups carried out early this year.”

The firm’s operations were suspended late last year after mining spills killed marine life. However, on July 11, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) allowed Lafayette to undergo a 30-day “test run” that critics said was a prelude for the complete resumption of operations of the controversial mining firm.

Hernandez said two policemen “invited [Andrade] at gun point for questioning at Pagcolbon’s town hall where he was allegedly harassed by police, military, and several private security personnel who wore no proper uniform nor identification, and who refused to identify themselves.”

The area where he was collecting samples was “unfenced public land,” Hernandez stressed.

Andrade was then “illegally searched, his water samples and sampling sheets confiscated, and was escorted by armed policemen to their detachment in Rapu-Rapu town” without saying on what charge he was being held.

Hernandez said the incident and the “heavy police security deployed to protect Lafayette’s operations” belied the firm and DENR’s claims of “full transparency” of the mine operations, particularly during the test run.

“Rapu Rapu Island today, even public areas outside the boundaries of Lafayette mine, is apparently a high security zone, tightly guarded not just by the police and military, but also by private security personnel,” Hernandez said.

“Monitoring and inspection by independent parties concerned about the negative effects of the mining operation is heavily discouraged and even prevented.”

He accused the government of protecting Lafayette “regardless of the consequences it would inflict on the island’s surrounding marine environment and the communities who benefit from these seas.”

“Instead of defending a mining operation which is damaging and detrimental to the island's fragile marine ecosystem, the DENR should stay true to its mandate of upholding our citizens' rights to live in a safe and healthy environment,” Hernandez said.

“The public has a right to know what real impacts Lafayette's mining operations have on the environment, and that right should never be thwarted by police and military harassment, especially in the service of myopic corporate interests,” he said.

The waters of the Bicol region are acknowledged as the feeding grounds and migratory route of the whale shark, and home to five of the seven known marine turtles in the world.

Its rich sea grass beds and mangroves, which make for a high marine biodiversity index, have turned the area into exceptionally rich fishing grounds for the region’s fishermen.

Greenpeace maintains that Rapu Rapu Island “is a dangerous place for a mine: not only is it situated along the country’s typhoon belt, but also along a major fault, making it a high-risk area for mining catastrophes.”

Suit vs Lafayette alarms business group

First posted 11:04am (Mla time) July 25, 2006
Inquirer

http://news.inq7.net/archive_article/index.php?ver=1&index=1&story_id=11618

THE FEDERATION of Philippine Industries (FPI) has expressed alarm that any injunction order stopping the 30-day test run of the mining operations of Lafayette Philippines Inc. on Rapu-Rapu Island in Albay province could derail the entry of more foreign mining investments into the country.

FPI president Jesus Arranza said the government’s target of raising 122 million dollars in mining investments by yearend had been imperiled by the injunction case filed against Lafayette and Environment Secretary Angelo T. Reyes before the Makati City regional trial court.

“The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has recorded a total of 47.91 million dollars in fresh investments from January to May this year,” Arranza noted.

“But now, this court petition against Lafayette and the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources [DENR] might force foreign investors to bring their money elsewhere despite the renewed enthusiasm generated by the government in the mining sector,” the FPI official added.

Aquinas University Academic Council Resolution Against Rapu Rapu Mining

Monday, July 24, 2006

Academic Council Aquinas University of LegazpiRawis, Legazpi City, PHilippines
Source: Aquinas University (Posted 6-28-06)

Resolution No. 2006-01

A Resolution Expressing Appreciation and Support for Kinatawan Fernandez on His Advocacy for the Protection of the Environment in Rapu-Rapu

Whereas, Aquinas University of Legazpi has advocated for the protection of the environment;

Whereas, the University called for the preservation of the natural beauty promotion of sustainable economic development of the island of Rapu-Rapu particularly through a statement in August 2001;

Whereas, the University has opposed Lafayette Philippines, Inc. and its partners in the mining of Rapu-Rapu for the destruction they would cause on the island and its environs;

Whereas, the University has advanced alternatives for the development of Rapu-Rapu particularly through the joint effort with the UNDP, UK Embassy, and Albay Diocese Social Action Center in the construction and operation of a minihydroelectric plant in BarangayBinosawan, and through a call for the promotion of eco-tourism in the island;

Whereas, the University is ready to forge linkages with other parties with the same stand on the mining issue in Rapu-Rapu;

Whereas, the Albay Sangguniang Panlalawigan members have expressed varying perceptions and opinions on the same issue;

Whereas, one member, Kinatawan Dondon Fernandez, has consistently stood against the mining operations of Lafayette Philippines, Inc. and its partners in Rapu-Rapu;

Whereas, Kinatawan Fernandez alone, among the several members of the council, openly manifested such stand, despite the contrary position and silence of the other members;

Whereas, the government suspended the operations of Lafayette Philippines, Inc., after verification of cyanide spills in October 2005;

Whereas, some members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan tried to pass a resolution that could have contributed to the continuation of mining operations in Rapu-Rapu;

Whereas, Kinatawan Fernandez interposed his objection to the attempt, using all the parliamentary means possible;

Whereas, the University is a juridical entity with legal rights under the laws of the Republic of the Philippines;

Whereas, the constituents of the University are also law-abiding citizens endowed with rights and duties under the Constitution;

Whereas, all juridical entities and citizens can participate in the affairs of government;

Now, therefore, be it resolved, as it is hereby resolved that Aquinas University of Legazpi, through the Academic Council, openly manifest its stand before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Albay against mining in Rapu-Rapu;

Be it further resolved that the Academic Council express its appreciation and support to Kinatawan Dondon Fernandez so he may know that he has allies outside the Sanggunian ready to influence policy-making in that government body in the interest of environmental protection;

Be it resolved that the Academic Council lobby before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to take measures to stop mining operations in Rapu-Rapu;

Be it finally resolved that copies of this resolution be provided to Kinatawan Fernandez and the rest of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Albay;

Issued this 10th day of May 2006 during the regular session of the Academic Council.

Mining firm sees sabotage in creek poisoning

First posted 11:22pm (Mla time) July 21, 2006
By Ephraim AguilarInquirer

http://news.inq7.net/archive_article/index.php?ver=1&index=1&story_id=11110

Editor's Note: Published on Page A16 of the July 22, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

LEGAZPI CITY—Unidentified persons poured what appeared to be pesticide into a creek near Lafayette’s Rapu-Rapu project last Wednesday then sent out text messages saying that the project had a spill that has killed marine life.

“This is sabotage to scare people and is no different from the mercury hoax antimining and leftist groups carried out early this year,” Lafayette spokesperson lawyer Julito Sarmiento said yesterday.

“It is impossible for us to affect the environment at this time because we are only using water and non-mineralized ore at this stage in the test run and no chemicals whatsoever. We think the same groups who mounted the mercury hoax are behind this. Besides, we are being strictly monitored full time by DENR officials.”

In the apparent pesticide hoax, residents said the creek smelled of Thiodan.

Ananias Balato, a fisherman residing in the island, said the creek smelled strongly of pesticide early Wednesday that his son even threw up. The creek is outside the project and is accessible to anybody.

Sarmiento said the company is investigating the matter and has tightened its surveillance operations with the help of the surrounding community to prevent a similar attempt by antimining groups.

He asked the media to be vigilant and not to fall for desperate and irresponsible stunts to prevent a repeat of the mercury hoax.

“Some groups desperately want Lafayette not to resume operations at all costs either because they love the environment so much they do not care if people remain poor and uneducated, or maybe because it is precisely their goal to keep the poor poor to promote whatever advocacy they are pushing,” he said.

The text brigade had been traced to a priest in Rapu-Rapu, who was known to be antimining and among those who filed a civil suit against Lafayette Thursday at the Makati Regional Trial Court, said Sarmiento.

Sarmiento also pointed out that they already passed the first stage of the test-run and used only water to test the piping system.

The 30-day test-run, which is now on its second stage and on its 10th day, involves gravel and soil to test if the facilities can hold materials more than just water.

Luis Valdez, public information officer of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, said Lafayette passed the first stage of the test-run and Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes had already ordered the second stage of the test-run to start.

Fr. Felino Bugauisan, assistant parish priest of Sta. Florentino Church in Rapu-Rapu, said he had nothing to affirm or deny.

Bugauisan was among those who filed a petition signed by 800 individuals at a Makati court seeking a halt to the 30-day test-run that started July 10.

ogon bishop backs Lafayette mine test run

SorsFirst posted 06:53am (Mla time) July 20, 2006
Inquirer

http://news.inq7.net/archive_article/index.php?ver=1&index=1&story_id=10789

SORSOGON Bishop Emeritus Jesus Varela has expressed support for the test run of Lafayette’s Rapu-Rapu polymetallic project, weeks after another Catholic bishop opposed its reopening

Varela said the test run would show if the corrective measures put in place by the company meet the standards for safe and responsible mining operations.

The bishop, who personally toured the project last week, said in a statement that the Church is not against mining itself but is opposed to irresponsible mining. He added he wanted to find out for himself if the objections of anti-mining groups to Lafayette Philippines Inc.’s continued operations are valid or not.

Anti-mining groups led by Bishop Arturo Bastes, chairman of the nine-man Rapu-Rapu fact-finding commission, had opposed the test run and the reopening of the Lafayette mine, saying it threatened the environment in the area.

“If the risks of mining in Rapu-Rapu can be avoided or substantially mitigated while the benefits can be palpably felt by its affected communities, then the company under its new Filipino management must be given a chance to conduct responsible mining; otherwise it should be closed down,” Varela said.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources recently allowed the test run so the company can test if its corrective measures run properly before it is allowed to resume mining operations.

The three-stage test run first involved the circulation of water into the system to test for leakages. This stage of testing had been completed. On Tuesday, the DENR issued an order confirming that the project had fully complied with all the requirements of the first stage of testing and can proceed to the second stage which involves the processing of non-ore bearing materials to test the electromechanical systems.

Lafayette said it was confident the project will successfully complete the second stage within the allocated period of nine days and in due course receive authorization to proceed with the third stage which would involve the use of ore-bearing materials and chemical reagents.

The new management team under Carlos G. Dominguez took over the project in mid-January following government sanctions for spills involving process water in October.

Gov’t orders evaluation of mining sites after waste spill

First posted 05:30pm (Mla time) July 12, 2006
Associated Press

http://news.inq7.net/archive_article/index.php?ver=1&index=1&story_id=9448

THE PHILIPPINES on Wednesday ordered an evaluation of mining sites in the country after a cyanide-laced waste spill at an Australian-operated mine last year led to suspension of the company's operations.

The evaluation should zero in on the facilities' tailing ponds and waste dumps as the rainy season sets in, Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes told a news conference.

Lafayette Philippines Inc., wholly owned by Australia's Lafayette Mining Ltd., has temporarily suspended operations on Rapu Rapu island in the central Philippines after the incident last year.
Reyes said Lafayette on Monday began a 30-day test run of its mining facility, which could pave the way for resuming its mining operations.

A fact-finding body created by the President to investigate the spill has recommended that the mine be closed, but the government appeared inclined to let it reopen on condition it takes measures to prevent a repeat of the accident.

Regional directors of the environmental department who were directed to make the evaluation were asked to submit reports on the mines within the next 10 days. Mining companies found to have defective facilities will be suspended, Reyes said.

Lafayette's Rapu Rapu Polymetallic Project started commercial production in July last year, producing an average of about 2,500 ounces of gold a month.

THE PHILIPPINES on Wednesday ordered an evaluation of mining sites in the country after a cyanide-laced waste spill at an Australian-operated mine last year led to suspension of the company's operations.

The evaluation should zero in on the facilities' tailing ponds and waste dumps as the rainy season sets in, Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes told a news conference.

Lafayette Philippines Inc., wholly owned by Australia's Lafayette Mining Ltd., has temporarily suspended operations on Rapu Rapu island in the central Philippines after the incident last year.
Reyes said Lafayette on Monday began a 30-day test run of its mining facility, which could pave the way for resuming its mining operations.

A fact-finding body created by the President to investigate the spill has recommended that the mine be closed, but the government appeared inclined to let it reopen on condition it takes measures to prevent a repeat of the accident.

Regional directors of the environmental department who were directed to make the evaluation were asked to submit reports on the mines within the next 10 days. Mining companies found to have defective facilities will be suspended, Reyes said.

Lafayette's Rapu Rapu Polymetallic Project started commercial production in July last year, producing an average of about 2,500 ounces of gold a month.

Rains critical to Lafayette test run, execs say

First posted 09:01am (Mla time) July 12, 2006
By Blanche RiveraInquirer

http://news.inq7.net/archive_article/index.php?ver=1&index=1&story_id=9366

THE RAINS would be critical in determining the efficiency of the environmental control mechanisms put up by Lafayette Mining Ltd. during its 30-day test run, an official of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) said Tuesday.

The impact of the volume of rainfall on Rapu-Rapu Island in Albay province, which hosts the 1.4-billion-peso Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic Project, would reveal the stability of the dams and other structures that were enhanced by Lafayette as a precondition for the test run.“The rains will tell [us] whether there’s anything more we need to fix,” Mines and Environmental Safety chief Michael Cabalda said in an interview Tuesday.

“The countdown to another ocean disaster has begun,” Greenpeace Southeast Asia toxics campaigner Beau Bacongis said, warning that the test run heralded “the continuation of the destruction that the mine will wreak on the fragile marine ecosystem around the island.

“Its toxic tailings and the inevitable acid mine drainage associated with this operation will continue to pollute the seas,” Bacongis added.Heavy rains had caused the second of two mine spills in the Lafayette mine site on Oct. 31 last year, proving the dam’s incapacity to handle a huge volume of water.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources had suspended Lafayette’s processing operations for seven months after investigations showed that the company had started operations when its dams were not tall enough to hold water equivalent to 100 years of rainfall.

July has been dubbed as the peak of the wet season in the Philippines. Two tropical cyclones have entered the country this month, with the weather bureau expecting more before the month ends.

With a report from Agence France-Presse

Lafayette mining gets DENR go signal Test run boosts firm’s mining shares in Sydney

First posted 05:25am (Mla time) July 11, 2006
By Blanche Rivera
Inquirer

http://news.inq7.net/archive_article/index.php?ver=1&index=1&story_id=9166

Editor's Note: Published on page A2 of the July 11, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

IT’S ALL systems go for the test run that could pave the way for the resumption of operations of Lafayette Mining Ltd.’s P1.4-billion project on Rapu-Rapu Island, Albay.The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has ordered the issuance of all necessary permits for the operation of the Australian mining firm’s facilities, which was suspended in November last year due to two mine spills.

In a resolution dated July 9, the Pollution Adjudication Board, a quasi-judicial body under the DENR, certified that Lafayette had met all the conditions set by the DENR in its temporary lifting order (TLO) that allowed the test run of the facility.

The PAB instructed the Environmental Management Bureau to issue a wastewater discharge permit and to lift the suspension of the chemical control order registration certificate which would allow Lafayette to buy cyanide for its mining operations.

“The board was unanimous in recommending to the DENR Secretary to allow respondent to operate its processing facilities for 30 days for the conduct of the test run in accordance with the stages as mentioned in the June 16 order,” the PAB said.

Environment Secretary Angelo T. Reyes issued a TLO on June 16 that would allow Lafayette to operate its facilities for 30 days to check the viability of its remedial measures.

The test run to be done in three stages required first the payment of P10.4 million in fines by Lafayette, the completion of structures including a storm drainage canal, bigger tailings dam, and emergency control mechanisms that would prevent or minimize any damages during accidents, and the treatment and control of acid mine drainage.

Lafayette chair and president Carlos G. Dominguez welcomed Reyes’ order, saying: “[This is a] watershed milestone for the company that is determined to prove it stands for responsible mining and is a sincere partner in the growth of its host communities and the country in general.”

After passing all tests, Dominguez said the company expects to be allowed to resume full operations after a lull of eight months.

In Australia, meanwhile, Lafayette shares jumped as much as 13 percent to A$1 ($0.75) before retreating slightly. At 0251 GMT (8:47 p.m. Manila), it was 10.2 percent up at A$0.97 ($0.72). The stock sank to a three-year low of A$.08 ($.06) in early June.

Lafayette, the first foreign firm to develop and run a mine in the Philippines in almost 40 years, estimates the lode will generate revenues of $350 million a year from annual production of 10,000 tons of copper in concentrates, 14,000 tons of zinc, 50,000 ounces of gold and 600,000 ounces of silver.

A team from the EMB and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau conducted an on-site validation of the measures installed by Lafayette to meet the conditions for the test run from June 30 to July 6.

“The findings during validation as well as the favorable recommendation from the Undersecretary for Policy and Planning, MGB director, MGB regional director and EMB regional director are adequate to warrant the approval of the request and allow the conduct of the test run for a period of 30 days,” the PAB said.

With a report from Reuters

Lafayette restarts Rapu-Rapu project

First posted 12:26pm (Mla time) July 10, 2006
Xinhua Financial News Service

http://news.inq7.net/archive_article/index.php?ver=1&index=1&story_id=9032

AUSTRALIAN listed Lafayette Mining Ltd. said it had restarted operations of its base metals plant at its zinc and copper mine on Rapu-Rapu island in central Philippines after receiving approval from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The mine was shut following two mine tailings spills in October last year.
It expects to move promptly from testing on water to waste testing then to ore.
Rapu Rapu is expected to produce copper, gold, silver and zinc valued at 350 million dollars over six years.

Questions of Policies : A visit to Rapu-Rapu

QUESTIONS OF POLICIES First posted 00:23am (Mla time) July 10, 2006
By Honesto General
Inquirer

http://news.inq7.net/archive_article/index.php?ver=1&index=1&story_id=8933

Editor's Note: Published on page B6 of the July 10, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

AS A BICOLANO and an unabashed pro-mining advocate, I have been following the Rapu-Rapu story with great interest.

I spent the better part of last Tuesday at Rapu-Rapu. I was the guest of longtime friend Sonny Dominguez who is now the chief executive officer of the place.

I took the early morning PAL flight to Legazpi. From Legazpi, I took a pleasant one and a half hour ferryboat ride to Lafayette's mining operations in Rapu-Rapu Island.

In the air-conditioned, well-appointed main office (I felt I was in an Ayala Avenue office), I went through a three-stage Power Point briefing conducted by three lovely Bicolanas (this was the part I enjoyed the most).

The first stage covered the safety rules any visitor is expected to follow. The second stage, conducted by a chemical engineer, was a thorough technical description of the project. The third stage described the project's social impact on the community.

After an excellent chicken and vegetable lunch at the mess hall, I was brought around. I had to wear the prescribed hard hat, goggles, steel-toed shoes and a vest of bright yellow plastic netting.

The municipality of Rapu-Rapu consists of three islands: Rapu-Rapu, Batan and another island whose name escapes me. Rapu-Rapu island lies about 40 nautical miles off the Pacific Ocean side of Albay. The island has an area of approximately 5,000 hectares, about the same size as Manila.

The mine is on a hill in the middle of the island and is about seven kilometers (about the distance from Makati to Cubao) from the poblacion. The aboveground facilities--mill, plant, storage tanks, housing, tailing pond, offices, mess hall, roads, etc.--cover 180 hectares.
There are no below-ground facilities because Rapu-Rapu is an open pit mine. This means that the ore body is buried not too deeply. It is economical to merely bulldoze away the earth, or the overburden, covering the ore body.

The pit--where all the digging takes place--has an area of only 17 hectares. That is less than half the size of the Ayala Center in Makati. The bottom of the ore body is about 100 meters deep. That is about the length of a city block at Ayala Avenue.

At great expense (I am told about $400 million), Lafayette has done everything that the DENR has asked. For example, the concrete water tank where the spillage occurred has been expanded to handle the heaviest rainfall. Each electrically driven pump is backed up by diesel driven pump. This way, in case of a power outage, the diesel pumps take over.

Also, the detoxified wastewater is piped into a holding pond, which is really a small valley hemmed in by an earth dam. After the solid matter settles, the water is recycled back to the plant. No wastewater goes to the sea.

As an insurance broker of long standing, I can confidently recommend to the most prudent insurer that the Rapu-Rapu mine is insurable against all types of risks.

During the three months that the mine was operating, all the gold ore was dug up. The ore was actually an overburden covering the deposits of copper, silver and zinc.

The plan is to dig up the rest of the ore in six years. After that, the decommissioning and clean-up prescribed in the mining act will begin. The buildings and machinery will be dismantled and shipped out, probably to another mine site. The pit will be filled up with water. The anti-erosion and beautification program shall have long taken root. Rapu-Rapu will be a lovely park, to the delight, I am sure, of the strictest environmentalist.

Compared to the huge open pit mines of Marcopper in Marinduque and Atlas Consolidated in Cebu, the Rapu-Rapu mine is teeny-weeny. When everything is over, Rapu-Rapu will probably rate an asterisk in the long mining history of the Philippines. Future generations may well wonder what the fuss was all about.

The mining act prescribes that the three barangays directly affected by the mine, the municipality and the province will each receive their fixed shares of the annual gross income of the mine. What the local governments should do is set up a self-sustaining foundation to catch all that money so that the people will reap the fruits of the mine in perpetuity.

Last Friday, DENR Secretary Angelo Reyes gave the go-ahead to start the 30-day test run. The large staff of Filipino engineers, male and female, is supremely confident Rapu-Rapu will pass the test with flying colors.

Bishop, gov back test run of mines in Rapu-Rapu

First posted 11:49pm (Mla time) July 07, 2006
By Bobby LabalanInquirer

http://news.inq7.net/archive_article/index.php?ver=1&index=1&story_id=8713

Editor's Note: Published on Page A17 of the July 8, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

SORSOGON CITY—Two ranking and influential leaders of the province had expressed support for the scheduled test run of the mining operation at the island of Rapu-Rapu in Albay province.
Gov. Raul Lee and Bishop Emeritus Jesus Varela both endorsed the test run, saying it would determine whether or not the installed systems and other steps taken by the firm to make up for two spills last year would pass tests.

Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes was in the mining site yesterday to personally oversee the start of the 30-day test run.

It was the first time ever that Bishop Varela, the predecessor of antimining Bishop Arturo Bastes, came out in public with a statement about the mining issue in Rapu-Rapu.

Bastes was appointed head of a body that investigated the waste spills.

Varela said he sees nothing wrong in mining operations for as long as they comply with ethical concerns such as safety of the environment, community and those involved in the mining operation themselves.

Mining

He said mining is one important industry that must be given a chance to grow as it would greatly help in economic development.

Bishop Varela’s stand was directly opposed to the stand of his successor, Bishop Bastes, who headed the Rapu-Rapu Fact-finding Commission which recommended the total closure of the mining operation on the island.

Bishop Bastes was in Manila for the regular assembly of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines and sent a text message to the Inquirer saying that he was “dismayed” over the scheduled test-run of Lafayette.

Lee, meanwhile, said that a thorough test run must be conducted to “once and for all determine the viability of Lafayette’s operation and to determine whether it’s environmentally safe.”

In a text message sent to the Inquirer, Fr. Lino Bugaoisan, Rapu-Rapu parish priest and a staunch anti-Lafayette advocate, expressed apprehension that incidents similar to the spill last year could again occur anytime once the mining operation is allowed to resume.

Bugaoisan said Rapu-Rapu could be the next Marinduque, Diwalwal, or Guinsaugon which were all hit by environmental disasters.

The local government of Rapu-Rapu and the barangay councils around the mining area all supported the resumption of Lafayette’s operation.

Changing gov’t policies to deter mine investors

First posted 09:33pm (Mla time) July 07, 2006
By Daxim LucasInquirer

http://news.inq7.net/archive_article/index.php?ver=1&index=1&story_id=8687

Editor's Note: Publised on page B1 of the July 8, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

LARGE, FOREIGN MINING FIRMS WILL BE deterred from investing in the country if the government continues to vacillate on its policies for the mining sector, a leading advocate of the industry warned yesterday.

In an interview, Chamber of Mines of the Philippines president Benjamin Philip Romualdez pointed out that foreign investors were critical for the development of the mining industry since local companies lacked the capital to exploit the full potential of the country’s metal and mineral reserves.

“There will always be noise [from opponents of mining] in any country,” he said, referring to civil society, environmental and Church-oriented groups opposed to the development of the local mining sector. “That doesn’t put [the potential investors] off. What will deter them is if government’s policies continue to shift and change.”

The administration of President Macapagal-Arroyo had initially welcomed the resurgence of the mining sector with open arms last year, but its enthusiasm has waned in recent months in the face of popular opposition to the industry.

The government is hoping to be able to tap the country’s estimated $840 billion in metal and mineral reserves to help lift the country out of poverty.

Romualdez, however, welcomed the rabid opposition to mining from some sectoral groups, saying it was part of the country’s “vibrant democracy.”

“When an influential group like the Catholic Church objects, it makes political sense for the policymakers to listen,” he said at the sidelines of the annual meeting of the Bishops-Businessmen’s Conference on Human Development yesterday at the Asian Institute of Management. “And they should listen to these ideas.”

During the forum, representatives of various groups took turns assailing the government’s mining policies, citing the dangers to the environment and to the social order.
Sorsogon Bishop Arturo M. Bastes was particularly vocal, since his diocese encompasses the site of the controversial Rapu-Rapu mining operation.

“I’m disappointed and I’m fearful for what will happen,” he said. “[Mining] is a danger to the environment, and there is great danger [for] the future.”

Despite this, the influential Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) appeared to have softened its stance against the controversial industry.

In an interview yesterday, CBCP president and Jaro Archbishop Angel M. Lagdameo said he was now open to dialogue with concerned parties about the possibility of allowing “sustainable mining” in the country.

“We can talk about responsible mining,” he said. “We are open to suggestions.”
Romualdez lamented that the forum failed to highlight the benefits of mining to the local economy and to the local communities.

He predicted that the mining industry would march on, regardless of the opposition being raised against it.

Lafayette test run OK’d

First posted 06:18pm (Mla time) July 07, 2006
By Bobby LabalanInquirer

http://news.inq7.net/archive_article/index.php?ver=1&index=1&story_id=8669

RAPU-RAPU, Albay -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources on Friday lifted the final roadblock to the conduct of a test run of the mining system of Australian firm Lafayette Phils. Inc. here.

Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes presided over the presentation here of the validation report on the conditions required for the 30-day test run to start next week. Reyes, however, said the test run was no guarantee that the mining operation would resume.

He said the government was concerned over the safety, health and sanitation of communities near the mine.

Reyes said the DENR, experts from the Chamber of Mines and people from the academe have been stationed at the mining site for the past weeks to monitor the implementation of the conditions required for the test run.

Michael Cabalda, chief science research specialist of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, said he was personally vouching for the safety measures that were put in place.

The DENR had required additional safety measures, including validating mechanisms, and strict compliance with environmental standards.

It also called for an improvement of the existing mine site laboratory for heavy metal analysis, the setting up of an emergency preparedness and response program, and the commissioning of a third party which will assess and start the process for ISO 14001 certification.

Operations at Lafayette were suspended after two spills of toxic mine wastes late last year. Officials had said earlier that the mine would be allowed to resume operations if the authorities are satisfied with the results of the test run.

Inquirer Southern Luzon Bureau

Religious delusions

First posted 01:13am (Mla time) July 01, 2006
Inquirer

http://news.inq7.net/archive_article/index.php?ver=1&index=1&story_id=7563

Editor's Note: Published on Page A14 of the July 1, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

I AM living in the United States but I find the news item “Gov’t letting Lafayette rape us some more, says bishops” (Inquirer, 6/19/06) disturbing. It showed that some of our Catholic Church leaders are delusional -- they sound as if everything they say and do is correct and mandated by heaven.

Take Bishop Arturo Bastes. After being invited by the government to head the Rapu-Rapu Fact-Finding Commission (RRFFC), he now has nothing good to say about a ruling issued by the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on the matter.

It is the right of Bishop Bastes, and of any ordinary citizen, to disagree with the DENR. But without any real knowledge on mining and the environment, Bishop Bastes cannot be allowed to throw tantrums in his desire to superimpose his opinion over the scientific findings of the experts whom the DENR assembled to help it come up with the correct ruling.

With all due respect to Bishop Bastes, the days of Padre Damaso are long since over. At the very least, he should respect the constitutional principle of the separation of Church and State. What will he threaten us with next time? Excommunication?

The big mistake probably was that Bishop Bastes, a known anti-mining personality, was appointed to head the RRFFC. Had a more objective person been asked to head the commission, I believe that its report and recommendations would have been very similar to those of the DENR.

The DENR ruling calls for a 30-day test run to ensure that Lafayette adheres to environmentally sound mining practices and that there won’t be a repeat of the wastewater spills last year. If Lafayette flunks the test, out it will go. I see no better ruling than that, especially since the effects of the wastewater spills were grossly exaggerated by anti-mining forces.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Angelo Reyes also whipped in shape the field men of the DENR as he acknowledged some lapses committed by them in monitoring Lafayette’s operation.

But as Sen. Edgardo Angara has said on Rapu-Rapu, “all’s well that ends well.” As long as the environment and mining communities are protected, there should be no reason for Filipinos not to be given the chance to benefit fully from the country’s rich mineral resources.

JENINA BANDY (via e-mail)