BFAR study clears mine firm of mercury contamination

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) virtually dismissed allegations by various sectors that mining company Lafayette Philippines was culpable for the discharge of poisonous mercury from its polymetallic site in Rapu-Rapu, Albay into Sorsogon’s rich fishing grounds.

The results of BFAR’s fifth study of fish and water samples taken from the coastal areas of Bagcay, Rizal, Barcelona and Manlabong Prieto Diaz, all in Sorsogon, show that all 14 fish species gathered for analysis were safe for human consumption and were not contaminated with mercury.

"The samples analyzed are within the standard limit of 0.5 parts per million (ppm) and are therefore safe for human consumption," said Belinda Raymundo, chief of BFAR’s fisheries product testing laboratory section.

Non-government organizations and Sorsogon politicians have demanded the permanent closure of the Rapu-Rapu mining site which they claimed has contaminated Sorsogon’s fishing grounds, resulting in fishkills and scaring people from consuming fish.

Lafayette officials are optimistic that the latest BFAR study would convince the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to finally allow the mining firm to resume its Rapu-Rapu mining operations.

Previous BFAR studies showed that the mercury content of Sorsogon waters and fishes was within the allowable limit of .002 ppm for water and 0.5 ppm for fish. 

The water quality criterion for freshwater, coastal and marine waters was set by the DENR through Administrative Order 34 issued in 1990. 

Local NGOs have questioned the results of these studies. Last month, they submitted to BFAR water and fish samples supposedly gathered from Sorsogon’s fishing grounds.

The NGOs, however, failed to state where the samples were actually extracted from, merely insisting that they came Sorsogon’s fishing areas.

The outcome of BFAR’s latest analysis of fish and water samples is critical to Lafayette, which has come under fire from local government officials, church leaders and NGOs for allegedly poisoning Sorsogon’s fishing grounds.

Lafayette officials have repeatedly maintained that it did not use mercury in its operations, something which the DENR has confirmed.

The mining company is anxious to resume its operations which were suspended last October by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in Region 5 following two mining spills that leaked out some five cubic meters of effluents containing cyanide into nearby creeks.

Under the EMB order, Lafayette will not be allowed to operate and discharge wastewater until it has fully rehabilitated its settling ponds as well as polishing and events ponds.

Carlos Dominguez, Lafayette’s new country manager, earlier assured residents that the company would resume its operations only after it has fully complied with all of the government’s requirements.