Atlas spends P9M for waste management

CEBU, Philippines - The Carmen Copper Corporation, formerly Atlas Mining, one of the major mining companies in Central Visayas, recently spent over P9 million for the construction of the concrete plug that shall permit the utilization of Biga Pit as tailing containment facility.

The concrete plug was specially put up for the Sigpit-Biga drain tunnel, which is required for the tunnel to handle pressure of the tremendous volume of tailing materials produced as waste from the mine operations.

Tailings are left over materials during the process of separating the valuable component from the worthless component of an ore.

In the reopening of Carmen Copper Corp., Biga pit was converted into Mine Tailings Containment Facility as stipulated in the Environmental Compliance Certificate granted by the Environmental Management Bureau last December 2006.

Sigpit-Biga Drain Tunnel (SBDT) was used in the 1960s to drain accumulated water in the Biga open pit mining operations.

Mines and Geosciences Bureau-7 chief Roger de Dios said the disposal and management of tailings is an area of great importance for both existing and planned mining operations.

De Dios commended Carmen Copper for the recent construction of the concrete plug which he said will ensure appropriate management of the company’s wastes.

He cited that based on the report submitted by the company to them, an estimated volume of 252, 000, 000 tons of tailings will be dumped in the area within the period of 12 to 15 years.

“Current mining operations generate a volume of tailings that requires containment in large tailing dams as engineered structure,” de Dios said. “Proper tailings management, therefore, requires combination of laws, rules and regulations anchored on the use of appropriate engineering technologies and comprehensive industry management guidelines,” he added.

Carmen Copper Corp. inaugurated the concrete plug early this month in the presence of MGB officials.

De dios reminded all mining companies that defined responsibilities, knowledge of environmental conditions, close supervision of the containment facility construction, careful operational surveillance and post-mining monitoring are keys to effective management of tailings. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/WAB (THE FREEMAN)