Design standards can address open pit impact – experts
Mining experts maintained that the impact of extracting minerals through the openpit mining method could be addressed through design standards.
Rolando Cuaño, president of BMP Environment and Community Care Inc., said the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (COMP) must work and agree on certain design standards.
Cuaño said design standards should focus on erosion, sedimentation, and mine rehabilitation, citing more advanced mineral-rich countries who allow open pit mining have developed their own technical solutions.
“In the US, they have a code of federal regulations where you have all these design standards for open-pit mining. It forms part of their policy framework,” Cuaño said during the last day of the Mining Conference Philippines 2017.
“Also, they really invested a lot of funds to make open-pit mining better than what it used to be. It was initially funded with research funds for the first five years,” he added.
Cuaño said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and Environmental Management Bureau must evaluate the design standards and develop a code of regulations supported by advisories and guidelines and a training program.
“I think it is a good time to have an open-pit mining debate. Putting more teeth in the designs and codes may be the answer,” Cuaño said.
He said the continued ban on the open pit method could lead to the demise of the mining industry in the medium-term.
Pangilinan-led Philex Mining Corp. said the industry must constantly find innovative ways to sustain its operations and catch up with other countries in terms of adopting international standards on open-pit method.
“Innovation is not just a buzz word but a way of life for miners. We constantly find ways to be creative not just with the science of it but also with the communication and policy aspect,” said Francis Ballesteros, Philex regulatory and public affairs head.
“The challenge now is to get the message out there through policy recommendations towards sustainability not just on the environment and the society, but the industry as a whole,” he added.