DENR now accepting Minahang Bayan applications

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) may now accept applications for the establishment of Minahang Bayan sites or areas where small-scale mining activities would be confined after the revised implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the People’s Small-Scale Mining Act of 1991 became effective on April 2.

The revised IRR was issued by Environment Secretary Ramon Paje as Department Administrative Order 2015-3.

DENR- Mines and Geosciences Bureau ( MGB) director Leo Jasareno said over the weekend that small scale miners may now submit their applications to their respective Provincial Mining Regulatory Board for review and subsequent approval of the Environment secretary.

To establish Minahang Bayan sites, small scale miners must first organize themselves into cooperatives and make sure that they have the technical ca- pability and the financial resources to conform to the structural requirements and taxation requirements of the concession area.

In line with the new mining policy, the government is seeking to curb the proliferation of small-scale mining activities by formalizing their operations and limiting their activities to concession areas with definite environmental and business regulation.

In the past, permits for small- scale mining operations were given by local government units that often lacked the technical expertise to understand their operations. This has led to destruction of the immediate environs of the mines and pollution of waterways that are in the immediate vicinity of their operations. This time, the permitting process would be centralized.

Upon approval of their applications, the Small Scale Mining Contract shall be issued by the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board.

Prospective Minahang Bayan sites would be subjected to the Environmental Impact Assessment ( EIS) system imposed on large-scale miners that entails an assessment of the economic viability of resources and environmental safety of operations.

They would also be compelled to produce a community development and management program for the locales hosting their operations.

All mineral processing activities shall also be confined within the designated mineral processing zones.

While there are no limitations on the extraction of non- metallic minerals, small-scale mining shall be limited to the extraction of gold, silver and chromite.

The use of hydraulicking and compressor mining methods shall be prohibited as well as the use of mercury in any phase of mineral processing.