Environment chief Regina Lopez has announced a ban on new open-pit mines.
Lopez, who has ordered the closure of 23 mines this year, told reporters she would not allow any new open-pit mines to operate, even those that gained government approval before she assumed office.
“Don’t come here. Don’t even apply. Go away. Go to another country,” she told prospective open-pit miners.
“The history of mining in the country shows that most, if not all open pits have ended up as perpetual liabilities, causing adverse impacts to the environment,” a copy of her order said.
Top supplier of nickel ore
The Philippines is the world’s top supplier of nickel ore and main exporter to China.
Her special assistant, Leo Jasareno, said Lopez’s decision directly affects three major mining ventures worth a combined $8.9 billion that have been approved by the government but have not yet begun operation.
The mining industry called her order “absurd,” but Lopez appeared firm in making the move.
“It’s the mandate of the mining law that you should not do anything which puts at risk the lives of future and present generations,” she said at a press conference where she showed footage of old open-pit mines which she said had destroyed the environment and poisoned water supplies.
She said existing open-pit mines would still be allowed to operate.
Four existing open-pit mines
Her assistant Jasareno said there were four existing open-pit mines in the Philippines and 10 that were abandoned or had suspended operations.
Lopez previously announced plans to cancel 75 of the nation’s 311 mining contracts, as well as the environmental compliance certificate of the planned $5.9-billion Tampakan copper and gold project.
Tampakan is among the three prospective open-pit projects. (Agence France Presse)