Benguet folk want assurance from mine firm

3 MIN READ

By KIMBERLIE NGABIT-QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

ITOGON, Benguet ― Residents of this town want Benguet Corporation (BC) to sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with them to ensure that the mining company will compensate and rehabilitate the communities should the company’s tailings pond fail.

In a consultation facilitated by Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan on May 2, representatives of BC and the affected residents agreed to draft a memorandum of agreement (MOA) addressing the issues and concerns raised by the picketing residents before the rehabilitation of the tailings pond would push through. Among the concerns raised was the integrity of the dam structure.

Kaniteng said residents in the upstream fear that their community will be flooded should the dam crest be increased while residents in the downstream fear that their community will be buried should the dam collapse.

Engr. Lomino Kaniteng, speaking in behalf of the Batuan, Lower Dalicno and Maligaya (BLDM) said the MOA will be BC’s commitment to rehabilitate and compensate affected Itogon communities should something happen to their tailings facility. “Even with all the technical projections and interventions we can never be sure that the tailings pond would really be able to withstand the wrath of nature,” he stressed.

Lomino added that the residents will lift their picket at tailings pond to show their sincerity to settle with the company in a MOA. He said the residents have been picketing since March for the company to listen to their demands. “Hopefully we finish the MOA this May. It is up to the company they are the ones who need the community’s approval so the ball is in their hands,” he added.

Residents staged a picket and blocked the rehabilitation of BC tailings pond 2 expressing fears of adverse effects to their community and doubts on the company’s sincerity in fulfilling its responsibilities and promises.

Fr. Mark Batolne, parish priest of Itogon in the consultation-forum, raised doubts whether BC will fulfill its promise to ensure the safety of the people when it failed to fulfill its earlier promises. He pointed out that the finishing of the spillway that the company promised two years ago remains unfinished and is posing danger to the Itogon folks.

“When the company was in a better position financially it failed to fulfill its promises to the people, now that it is facing financial difficulties can we really bank on its promises to fulfill its obligations?” he asked.

Atty. Ryan Solano of BC admitted that the company had faults in the past but stressed that they are now doing everything they can to address environment and community concerns. “We admit that we had mistakes in the past but we are now doing our best to properly address issues and concerns,” he reiterated.

Solano pointed out that if the company stops operating then there will be no source of funds to finance the pending projects such as the spill way.

Valeriano Bongalos, Benguet Corporation general manager, said they will voluntarily stop operation should they fail to convince the Itogon folk to allow them to increase the dam crest of their tailings pond 2 and 2A. “If we fail to convince the people, we will be forced to voluntarily stop operation by August,” he stressed.

Bongalos explained that based on their survey the existing dam crest height of tailings pond 2 and 2A can only take 53,879 cubic meters of tailings. He said that at the current rate of 300 cubic meters of tailings being dumped in the facility, the facility can last until August.

Engr. Mario Ymbong, BC consultant, said at present tailings pond 2 is at level 765 while tailings pond 2A is at level 770. He said they will have to raise the dam level to 775 to extend the operations for another eight years.

He stressed that their planned rehabilitation of the tailings ponds is covered by an environmental compliance certificate issued by the Environment Management Bureau of the DENR that allows them to increase the dam crest until level 780.

Ymbang explained that BC’s tailings pond is different from that of Philex Mining Corporation’s tailings pond that collapsed.

He said Philex dammed a major creek while BC diverted the water from the Ambalanga River.

He explained that BC’s tailings pond only carries the weight of the effluents dumped into it because the water from the Ambalanga River is diverted and does not have to pass through the pond. He added that the water from the Balog Creek passes through Philex’s tailings pond. # nordis.net