LEGAZPI CITY— The quality of marine waters off Rapu-Rapu island has been declared safe and within the standard of cyanide by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
DENR announced its findings following a fishkill along the coastal villages of Rapu-Rapu town allegedly triggered by mine tailings that overflowed from a mining operation.
Technical experts from the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) released the initial results on the investigation of the reported fishkill in the island citing that the quality of marine waters is safe between the location of the reported fishkill and the mine site of Lafayette Mining Corp. which are about 10 km. apart.
Albay Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda however said that the EMB initial investigation result is not yet conclusive.
“We have to wait for the BFAR findings, as this will clear all speculations about the real cause of the fishkill,” he added.
The DENR probe indicated that there was no over-flow or spill from the events pond of the Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic Mining Project nor at the lower tailings storage facility during the heavy rainfall on October 27.
DENR technical experts said there would be no probability of an overflow since the tailing pond freeboard had been maintained at minus 10 meters and the impounding capacity of the tailings storage facility was adequate to contain the rainfall volume of 65,000 cubic meters.
The investigation also found that the mill plant of the mining project was not in operation due to maintenance work since October 27 this year.
The DENR however, said they could not determine the possible cause of the fishkill since they are not the experts on the issue but the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is the agency mandated to undertake an investigation as to the cause of the alleged fishkills.
The BFAR as of press time has yet to submit their findings on the nature and cause of the fishkills that reportedly hit coastal villages of Corogcog, Sta. Barbara, Malobago, Pagcolbon, Binosawan and Poblacion where villagers reported the incidence of dead fishes in their shorelines.
As this developed, Salceda directed his provincial agriculturist to work out interventions to counter possible negative consequences of the fishkills on the livelihood of fishersfolk in the affected villages.
Barangays Pagcolbon, Malobago, and Binosawan are the sites where Lafayette Mining Corp., an Australian mining firm, is operating the Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic Mining Project.
The project was temporarily closed by DENR for similar fishkill incidents that took place two years ago after the firm’s cyanide pond overflowed when heavy rains struck the island town, but it was reopened last year after the mining firm instituted corrective measures in its operations.
The mining operation expects to mine gold, copper, silver, zinc with an estimated gains placed at US$350 million over the next three years.
(MSArguelles, PIA Albay)
