DENR allows Philex to resume operations

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has allowed Philex Mining Corp. to temporarily resume operations of its copper-gold mine in Padcal, Benguet as part of its rehabilitation and clean up plan.

Philex earlier petitioned that it be allowed to undertake an immediate rehabilitation of its compromised tailings pond no. 3 by conducting a process called beaching, which was recommended by the company’s foreign consultants.

Because the tailings pond was designed to hold solids, 3.5 million tons of fresh tailings should be dumped into the ponds to push away the water from the pond’s embankment into an open spillway. This would create what is called a beach.

Philex asked for permission to conduct the beaching months before the onset of the rainy season to prevent a possible collapse of the tailings storage facility and an overflow of more silt into the Agno River.

In an order issued on Tuesday, Feb. 26, the DENR allowed the company to resume operations for a period not exceeding four months.

Philex is required to commission an independent third party to undertake a round-the-clock monitoring and audit of the remediation measures to be undertaken.

In the order, Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) director Leo Jasareno said that the third party assessor should “possess the necessary track record for the task, has no business interest in Philex Mining Corp. or its subsidiaries.”

The assessor would be jointly chosen by Philex and the MGB.

In a phone interview, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said the department recognizes the needs to allow the temporary resumption of operations in the Padcal mine for environmental safety.

Jasareno recognized that it would be “more catasrophic” if the beaching process is not conducted.

“Philex was allowed to fill up the void in the tailings pond with freash tailings. This is to avoid the greater risk of a collapse of the main dike due to adverse action of water that has filled the void,” Jasareno said in a text message.

“If we don’t allow this and the main dike will collapse, about 140 million metric tons of tailings will spill to Agno River. That will be more catastrophic,” he added.

In a statement, Philex officials expressed gratitude to government for acknowledging the immediacy of the situation.

“We thank the MGB for this decision involving the ‘urgent remediation measures’ for our tailings pond,” said Philex spokesman Michael Toledo.

“We thank the government regulators for listening to us and our stakeholders,” said Philex president and chief operating officer Eulalio Austin Jr.  adding “With this development, we are even more inspired to work harder toward the immediate remediation and rehabilitation of the affected areas.”