Does quote "Geohazard Expert" Dr. Art Saldivar-Sali
Expert cites need for expertise in mining laws
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Published on 18 July 2012 Hits: 86 Written by JAMES KONSTANTIN GALVEZ
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A geohazard expert said that the national government should ensure regulatory bodies and local government units (LGUs) have the proper training, technology and resources to strictly implement laws governing the mining industry.
In a statement, Dr. Art Saldivar-Sali, a mining and geo-technical expert with 40-year industry experience, said that it is critical for the government to ensure that existing mining laws are enforced and allow mining companies to self-regulate.
“A mining operation will not start, cannot start, without adapting to the safety needs required by the conditions in the proposed mining area,” said Sali, who is a third-party expert assessing the proposed facilities for the $5.9-billion Tampakan copper-gold project.
He stressed that a mining project is not just all about geologists looking for deposits, but also involves adapting the project to the safety needs of people and environment.
“There are impact on geology and environment but right engineering and technology, these can be managed,” he added.
A mining geotechnical consultant for a number of mining companies, Sali cited the 1990 earthquake which devastated nearby cities of Baguio and Cabanatuan in Luzon, but did not damage the mining facilities of nearby Philex Mining Corp.’s mine because of proper engineering.
Also the tailing storage facility of Philex is helping prevent siltation and erosion, and contributes to the stability of the San Roque dam in Pangasinan. “This is also why an environmental impact assessment is very important,” Sali said.
In the case of Tampakan in South Cotabato, Sagittarius Mines Inc.’s (SMI) choice for a mining method is based on current conditions in the area.
SMI, the government contractor for the Tampakan project, is proposing the open-pit mining method that is now facing a provincial ordinance banning the same mining method.
“When SMI submitted an environmental impact study for their Tampakan project, you will note that the study focused on safety and on how to adapt the proposed operations with conditions in the area,” Sali said.
In line with this, he urged that the national government should ensure that those regulating mining activities, especially LGUs, have the proper training, technology and resources to strictly implement laws governing the mining industry.
He noted that open-pit mining can be used in other countries, so there is no reason why it cannot be applied in the Philippines.
Sali also said that the only feasible mining method for the Tampakan project is the open-pit.
The Tampakan project, which spans the provinces of South Cotabato, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat and Davao del Sur, is said to likely contain 15 million tons of copper and 17.9 million ounces of gold.
The project has an estimated capital requirement of $5.9 billion and is scheduled to start commercial operations in 2016. The project is also expected to add 1 percent to the country’s gross domestic product or GDP per year after 2016.
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