Consolacion ordered to halt quarrying anew

CEBU, Philippines - The Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources again issued a Cease and Desist Order against the municipality of Consolacion after the bureau found out that illegal hauling operations are continuing in the town despite the existing CDO.

The latest CDO issued against Consolacion was last April 14, where MGB ordered for the immediate suspension of the hauling operation in barangay Garing due to lack of an Environmental Compliance Certificate for the road widening project and lack of gratuitous permit from the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office.

During the two-day field monitoring conducted last August 17-18, 2009, it was confirmed that the municipality of Consolacion has been undertaking earthmoving or quarrying operations at its road opening project in Garing where limestone materials were being hauled and disposed.

Monitoring was conducted after MGB received reports from the residents of the mentioned barangay that due to the continuous earthmoving operation in their area, barangay roads are severely damaged while dust is causing health problems.

On August 17, the MGB monitoring team caught several men extracting and loading limestone in government hauling trucks to be transported and used reportedly in the town’s ongoing government center project.

Yesterday, when MGB returned to the area along with the members of the media, the operation was temporarily suspended but hauling trucks were spotted on standby.

MGB-7 information officer Eddie Llamedo said that they have issued another CDO for the Consolacion yesterday for continuously operating without obtaining the necessary permits required of them before they could do such thing.

Llamedo said that the Environmental Management Bureau has yet to issue them an ECC for the said earthmoving activity because they have not complied with the mandatory requirements of the bureau.

PENRO has also not granted Consolacion the permit yet which makes them not eligible to extract and haul mineral products from that area.

     An estimated volume of 10,000 cubic meters or 1,000 truckloads worth P2 million have been extracted and disposed in the area for the last three months that the town was ordered to stop the operation.

MGB-7 Mining Operations officer Raul Lapus said that full implementation of environmental laws will be strictly enforced as the bureau received instructions from DENR Secretary to conduct step up and aggressive campaign against despoilers of the environment.

MGB-7 wrote a letter to the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas last May 18, 2009 for their information, guidance and appropriate action on the reported continued illegal extraction and hauling activities by LGU-Consolacion in Barangay Garing, Consolacion, Cebu.

Llamedo said that MGB is willing to help Consolacion to legalize their operations and said it will be very easy to extend technical assistance provided that the local government will follow the law.

He said they have asked the help of the Philippine National Police and PENRO deputized officers to keep a close watch to the town. –Jessica Ann R. Pareja/BRP   (THE FREEMAN)