DENR trashes Tampakan mines environmental compliance certificate application | Sun.Star.

By Bong S. Sarmiento
Friday, January 13, 2012

 KORONADAL CITY – Efforts to bring the massive Tampakan copper-gold project to commercial phase suffered a major blow after the Environment department rejected the proponent’s application for an environmental compliance certificate (ECC).

Documents obtained by the Diocese of Marbel showed that Environment Secretary Ramon Paje rejected the ECC application of Sagittarius Mines Inc. because of the open-pit mining ban in South Cotabato.

“We are returning herewith the application documents with instruction to deny the same without prejudice to resubmit until the issues and concern on the use of open-pit mining method have been clarified and resolved by the company [SMI] with the Provincial Government of South Cotabato,” Paje said in a memorandum dated last January 3.

The memorandum was addressed to Juan Miguel T. Cuna, national director of the Environmental Management Bureau, who in turn issued an order to Sagittarius Mines, dated January 9, which states:

“You are advised to refrain from undertaking any development activity in the areas mentioned in the application for ECC until the same is issued in your favor, including permits from concerned government agencies.”

Rene Pamplona, advocacy officer of the Social Action Center of the Diocese of Marbel, said they obtained the documents on Thursday from their partners in Manila.

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