Mining expert slams Lopez's decision to cancel mining contracts

A mining expert on Wednesday slammed Environment Secretary Gina Lopez's latest order canceling 75 mining contracts located in watershed areas.

"I was shocked to observe that the reason given is these companies are located in watersheds," Deogracias Contreras, president and CEO of mining consultancy AMDGY, said in a forum in Quezon City.

"How does she define a watershed? If we will say watersheds, that's too general to say a mining company cannot work in a watershed. If I may explain, a watershed is something like it's a high-ridge area wherein the water drains towards a river or a body of water," Contreras claimed.

On Tuesday, Lopez announced the cancellation of 75 mineral production sharing agreements all of which cover watershed areas amd with many in the exploration stage.

"You kill watershed, you kill life," Lopez told a media briefing.

Contreras noted that under the Section 19 of Republic Act 7942, or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, a watershed must be proclaimed for it to be prohibited to mining operations.

"To say that it is a watershed ... it must be proclaimed and what's missing is it must be a forest reserve. Without the forest reserve, we don't have the watershed to hold the water that's what I wish to emphasize," he said.

"It is not just a simple watershed," he added.

Sec. 19 (f) says that a mineral agreement shall not be allowed in virgin forests, proclaimed watershed forest reserves, wilderness area, mangrove forest, mossy forest, national parks, provincial/municipal forest, parks, greenbelts, game refuge and bird sanctuaries as defined by law and in areas expressly prohibited under the National Integrated Protected Area System under RA 7586, Department Administrative Order No. 25, series of 1992 and other laws.

Early this month, Lopez also revealed during a press conference that she ordered to close and suspend 28 mining operations for regulatory and environmental infractions. — VDS, GMA News