inquiry recommends mine closure: opinion tastarga, page-7

re: inquiry recommends mine closuopinion tastarga The profanity blocker keeps getting me
HC person note Ar* senic is an element with the periodic symbol As - it is somewhat different to ar* se.


Having worked in Asia for over 1/3 of my life, some points:

LAF did stuff up with the cyanide. However cyanide is easily made harmless by oxidization. Systems can be set up for this.

You cannot argue logic in many Asian countries. You would think that having Co senior management locked up in jail for months on unsustantiated claims would be economic suicide - but that is what happened in North Sulawesi.

The Philippines are an extremely superstitious and illogical people. Where else would you find adds recommending buying guns for each other on St Valentines Day. I saw an article that argued that a helecopter geophysical survey was damaging crops due to the extra air pressure of the blades (of the helecopter flying a few 100m above the ground and flying at 150km/h).

The church in the Philippines are very anti-development. I think they have an adenda.

Local arguments about illnesses from mining are a joke. An example is Newmont in Minahassa with the locals demanding compensation due to illnesses. When I was there in 1980-2000, I saw the 20,000 locals mining 100,000oz gold / year using mercury to extract the gold and burning the mercury off later. So much mercury was used that it was depositing on house roofs. The locals were repeatedy warned about the dangers (Minamata disease) by the mining company and the local govt, but chose to ignore it. Tonnes of mercury were used and burnt off. The ar* senic-rich waste was also flushed down the river. Now they claim the mining company is to blame for illnesses.

If the govt does not support LAF on this one, it will be the end of new mining investment in the Philippines.

G

Comments only. Don't hold, but did consider applying for the geo position with LAF when it was advertised.