Small scale miners warned on gold precessing
WITH THE use of cyanide and its detrimental effect in the environment, Carbon-in-leach (CIL) /Carbon-in-pulp (CIP) process in smallscale mining (SSM) is still strictly prohibited.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu in a dialogue with the smallscale miners of Benguet last week emphasized that the stoppage order on illegal SSM activities remains in effect although he promised small scale miners at the processing of the application for minahang bayan in Itogon is underway.
Following his pronouncement, he directed the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board of Benguet to process the applications for Minahang Bayan.
The PMRB meanwhile convened and decided to allow the processing of gold ores. However small-scale miners need to inform those who have ores to be validated and be given a temporary permit, says Benguet Governor Crescencio Pacalso.
On October 18, PMRB released an advisory addressed to all small-scale miners or operators and mineral processors within the province.
“Please be advised that CIP/CIL processing shall remain strictly prohibited. Any violation shall be dealt accordingly. Please be advised that the PMRB Benguet will be issuing temporary permits to operate ball mill and sluicing activities only," reads the advisory, signed by Benguet Fed--
eration SSM President Lomino Kaniteng, PMRB chair and Mines and Geosciences Bureau regional director Fay Apil and Pacalso.
The governor added to legalize small-scale miners milling activities they have issued a special permit without cost. The days to process their ores will be depending on the sacks ores to be determined.
“Only allowed are milling and sluicing. There is still no approval of processing through CIP/CIL,” Pacalso said.
The gold–copper processing plant in Benguet province has yet to be utilized to its full potential as most small scale miners are not satisfied.
Gina Abanga, president of Yang Gold Tocmo Binatangan Pocket Miners Association with some 250 members cited the use of cyanide contributes to the high gold recovery rate.
Taking up from the statement of Cimatu, Benguet Federation of Small-Scale Miners counsel Attorney Mary Inglay Fokno stated the first step they have to take is to work with PMRB because it’s the body that can help the small-scale miners resume their operations.
Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said they have prepared an appeal for reconsideration for PMRB to amend their advisory and include CIP/CIL.
“We were shock why they excluded CIP/CIL, Carbon Inpulp , Leaching Pad. We know for a fact that those are illegal but we in this kind of crisis we should humanize the law so that this people at least will have a way to recover their expenses and pay their laborers," he added.
CIP/CIL is a simultaneous leach and absorption process, while the precious metals are being dissolved by the cyanide solution in the large volume tanks the dissolved metals are adsorbed by the active carbon.