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By Manny T. Ugalde and Rhaydz B. Barcia, Correspondents
LEGAZPI CITY: Albay Governor Jose Sarte Salceda on Tuesday called
for a thoroughinvestigation into the fishkill that hit five coastal
villages of Rapu-rapu allegedly triggered by mine tailings that
overflowed from a mining operation in the said island town.
Salceda said his office had asked the
Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and the Bureau of Fisheries
and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to undertake a thorough investigation
of the reported fish kill incidents that happened on Sunday.
As this developed, Lucilo Quiambao, Auxilliary
Bishop of the Diocese of Legazpi renewed the call for the mining
operations of Lafayette be permanently stopped, which is the stand
of the church and the anti-mines groups in the Bicol region.
The Albay governor also dispatched his
environment consultant to conduct a parallel probe and submit a
recommendation as to what action the provincial government should
make in order that similar incidents be prevented from happening in
the future.
“Facts must be established, as science must
rule, but we have to exhaust the full extent of the law to resolved
this issue in the best interest of Albay,” said Salceda.
He also urged the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, as
well as the BFAR to conduct their own investigation and draw up
appropriate legislative actions concerning this environmental
concern.
The governor called on the people of Albay,
particularly those marginalized fisher folks affected by the fish
kill, to be vigilant. Fisher folks along the coast of Rapu-Rapu,
particularly the barangays of Pagcolbon, Malobago, Santa Barbara,
Carubcob and Poblacion following Friday’s heavy rains discovered
the fish kill on Sunday morning.
Rey Juan, regional director of the DENR Bicol
went to Rapu-Rapu on Tuesday to conduct an investigation of the
reported fish kill off the shores of Poblacion and Pagcolbon where
villagers found 10 to 20 kilos of dead fish.
Barangays Pagcolbon, Malobago, and Binosawan are
the sites where Lafayette Mining Corp., an Australian mining firm,
operates the Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic Mining Project.
In an interview over Bombo Radio on Monday
evening, Juan said he was surprised when a fish kill happened in
Poblacion since it was far-off from the Lafayette mining site.
Juan said they would conduct water sampling in
affected areas to check whether toxic contamination was present.
Engr. Gilbert Gonzales, EMB regional director admitted to The Manila
Times that the Lafayette Philippine Inc., have no rehabilitation
fund submitted to his office as of presstime.
“We’re still waiting for their office to
submit the rehab fund until December,” Gonzales said.
Governor Salceda who vowed for a continued
protest against Lafayette mining during his last term in Congress,
said mining firms have not proven beneficial to host provinces,
citing the copper and gold mines in Masbate and Camarines Norte
among others. He said the two Bicol provinces remain very poor.
Rev. Fr. Ino Bugauisan, former Rapu-Rapu Parish
Priest said the latest incident of fish kill is already alarming and
the government should not wait for another disaster to come.
He said the effect of mining operations of
Lafayette to the environment and community of Rapu-Rapu is much
greater than the limited employment opportunities it is able to
provide residents or the little income it brings the town and the
province.
The mining operation expects to produce gold,
copper, silver, zinc with an estimated gains placed at $350 million
over the next three years.
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