Who profits from mining?

Very few realize that to produce a single gold ring, 20 tons of mine wastes are generated. And where does all mine wastes go? To the rivers, the water systems, the air, the soil, the animals and the plants. Eventually, these toxic wastes will find themselves lodged in human bodies.

Based on studies, trillions of dollars worth of minerals are found on Philippine soil. Some argue that if God put them there, then they must have been meant to be extracted. But is mining for gold, silver, copper, and other minerals worth the consequences?

Since the Mining Act of 1995 (RA 7942) was passed, large-scale mining companies have inflicted untold destruction and damage to the environment. Water systems, the air, soil and the biodiversity of many regions of the country, especially, Mindanao, have been contaminated with dangerous toxins. Thousands of trees are cut when mining operations begin and the ground is excavated and blown up to extract ores that contain minerals. Mountains are flattened; the soil gets eroded. Indigenous peoples are displaced and, frequently, rendered homeless.

Mining threatens the country’s food security, too. Rivers and water systems and the soil get polluted and can no longer sustain life. The “Save Palawan Movement” said that since mining started in the island, the water for irrigation has become so contaminated rice production was cut by more than 50 percent.

Marinduque Governor, Carmencita Reyes said that lead deposits have killed the Kalangkang river in her province because open-pit mines leached into the river system. This translates to a loss of supply of fresh water fish and other aquatic animals. The mining operations in her province have resulted in the destruction of forest areas and caused erosion which led to severe flooding in 1993 and 1996. The governor also said that children living near the mining areas are generally afflicted with such physical disorders and illnesses as inability to concentrate and aplastic anemia, a disease that causes bone marrow failure. Mining destroys, and destroys big. The experience of countries destroyed by mining, among which is the Republic of Nauru, proves that there is no such animal as sustainable mining.

Who profits from mining? The representatives of the Chamber of Mines say that they create jobs; that schools, hospitals and roads are built where they have operations. Yet, these little benefits, if you can call them that, mean nothing when the water, the air and the soil, which are the sources of life, are destroyed anyway. Too, these token benefits cannot erase the suffering of indigenous peoples who are uprooted from their communities to make way for mining. In the final analysis, the only ones who profit from mining are the big businessmen who put their money in the industry. The contribution of the mining and quarrying industry in the Gross Domestic Product of the country averaged from 2000 to 2009 is, after all, a mere 0.9 per cent.

In a statement recently released by a big number of non-governmental organizations and individuals who participated in the International Conference on Mining in Mindanao, they called for the repeal of the Mining Act of 1995. Mindanao is host to what experts call the “most dangerous mines anywhere in the world,” also referred to as the “biggest time bombs.” They also called for a moratorium on large-scale mining; the suspension or cancellation of all mining operations while the mining policies are being reviewed; and the enactment of the Consolidated Alternative Minerals Mining Bill.

The people’s representatives in Congress could serve the country so much better if the time for which they are paid is spent more on matters that will spell a difference in the life, well-being and future of the people; rather than attempting to convict the chief justice on what now appears to be shaky grounds. –Atty. Rita Linda V. Jimeno, Manila Standard TOday

Email: ritalindaj@gmail.com Visit: www.jimenolaw.com.ph