Philex awaiting clearance from pollution board to reopen Padcal mine

Philex Mining still needs to be cleared by the Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB) before it can temporarily resume operations at its Padcal mine in Itogon, Benguet, the company said Wednesday.

Philex vice president for operations and Padcal resident manager Libby Ricafort said operations at the mine will resume two or three days upon the lifting of PAB's cease and desist order.

The company already received permission from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to restart operations.

The company had petitioned for the resumption of activities at the mine to allow the process of "beaching," or collecting 3.5 million tons of solid tailings in the pond to fill it and push water away from the dam, increasing its stability in time for the rainy season.

The process will take three to four months. The DENR, through its Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), allowed the resumption of operations at the mine for no longer than four months.

According to the company, the copper concentrate that would be produced from the resumption of operations will not be sold until the DENR lifts its suspension order on the mine.

Environment Undersecretary and PAB presiding officer Demetrio Ignacio said the board is working on the clearance issue. “We have different requirements and parameters from the MGB. We hope to finish the review and have a decision by next week,” he said. — BM, GMA News