Mining doubles river’s mercury level

GENERAL SANTOS CITY—The Tampakan environment office has sounded the alarm on the rising mercury content of the Pula Bato River, which could put in danger the health and safety of residents.

Eileen Estrada, municipal environment and natural resources officer (Menro) of the gold-rich town of Tampakan in South Cotabato, said the rising mercury level was being caused by sluice mining in the villages of Danlag, Pula Bato, Tablu and Palo 19.

In sluice mining, unlicensed small-scale miners pour large quantities of water on a mountain surface to wash out rocks with gold ores.

The miners would then pan the ores and extract the gold using mercury.

Based on data gathered by Estrada’s office, the increase in mercury level at the Pula Bato River—an important water source for the town’s residents—started in 2008.

The data was backed by later tests conducted by Xstrata-owned Sagittarius Mines Inc.

Estrada said in November last year, monitoring done by her office showed that the mercury level in the river was 0.4 micrograms per liter, or double the tolerable level of 0.2 micrograms per liter.

Estrada said in January, another test was conducted, which showed that the mercury level rose to 0.8 micrograms per liter.

“That is way above the tolerable limit,” she said.

Estrada said the environment office was trying to remedy the problem by intensifying the crackdown on illegal mining activities in the hinterlands of the town.

Supt. Rolito Pidlaoan, Tampakan town police chief, said since the crackdown started, police have arrested at least eight people engaged in sluice mining.

Pidlaoan admitted that illegal miners had persisted in their activities despite the police’s seizure of some 30,000 metric tons of ore.

He said miners have thought of dozens of way to avoid detection, such as operating during heavy rainfall or at night.

To boost their campaign, police outposts would be established in the four villages, where sluice mining was being conducted, Estrada said.— Aquiles Z. Zonio, Inquirer Mindanao