Cyanide contaminates Itogon river

TOXINS have caused the Ambalanga river to turn blue.

Mineral processing plants with high cyanide content were suspected to the cause of discoloration of Ambalanga River in Gumatdang, Itogon Benguet.

Mines Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Regional Director Faye Apil said: “In the area of Gumatdang chalcopyrite which has copper and iron, so kapag nagreact iyan sa cyanide and nitric acid nagkakaroon ng blue coloration.”

A total of 146 SSM processing plants comprised of Clean-in-Place (16), Leach Pad (55), Ball Mill (75) were in-

ventoried along the stretch of Gumatdang river and tributaries from Minac of Barangay Tuding down to the Mill Site and a total of 83 Small Scale Mining [SSM] processing plant operators were identified.

“Kung pure cyanide, magiging toxic iyan puwedeng paginumin ng animals iyong tubig mapopoison sila, sa mga tao poision kung direct sa cyanide pero ang cyanide kasi iyan talaga ang ginagamit sa mining companies kaya may tailing pond,” Apil addded.

Except for the Balili Mill Operations which are all provided with catch tanks, almost all the processing plants are directly discharging their process tails and effluent towards the Gumatdang River. “They do direct discharge, there is need for centralized processing plant para ma-treat muna iyong nanggagaling na discharges from the processing plants before it is released in the river,” said Apil.

MGB released a stoppage order against all mineral processing plants of all small-scale miners (SMMs) prior to the discoloration of Ambalanga River.

An investigation was done October 4 with the MGB requesting assistance of Itogon Mayor Victorino Palangdan to advise the residents to avoid using the river until the toxicity results were determined.

A joint team conducted an inventory of the processing plants operation within the river October 23 with representatives from the Environmental Management Bureau, MGB-Cordillera, Benguet Provincial Environment and Natural Resources, Philippine National Police Itogon, Benguet Federation of SSM Associations of Barangays Tuding and Gumatdang and concerned SSM associations.

Most of the Process Plant operators had complied with the issued stoppage order except for two operators at the Minac and some leach plants downstream.

Another joint meeting will be conducted today, October 26 for the presentation of the result of the inventory conducted and the formulation of the memorandum of undertakings and commitments of the SSM processing plant operators.