The
Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (MGB) has blacklisted two contractor/claimants of
quarry operations in the province for violations of environmental laws.
The
MGB said that Tatong Tan of Tantrade Corporation here and Cebu-based Domingo Chua
who has several mining claims (through several corporations) in the province failed
to settle their obligations/penalties based on the findings of the environmental
law enforcers.
| | | The
violations ranges from operating outside their jurisdiction and abandoned the
quarry sites without rehabilitating them. MGB has not pinpointed where these quarry
operations are located.
It
said that both Tan and Chua has yet to settle some P300,000 each in payments of
penalties of infringements.
Tan
has still payments to be settled to the Provincial treasurer's office in the amount
of more than P90,000 for the similar offenses, said Belen Fuentes, collection
officer. |
MGB,
together with Bohol Environment Management Office led Engr. Rene Villaber, was
here to conduct a training seminar on capability building for provincial law enforcers
on its devolved functions.
Efforts
to contact Chua and Tan proved futile.
Earlier,
MGB has rejected the application of a certain Mingson Agro-Urban Development Corporation
(MAUDC) owned by Chua for apparently large-scale mining application of silica
sand resources of Alburquerque town.
This
is one of the findings of the environment committee of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan
chaired by Board Member Godofreda O. Tirol in a prepared report.
This
surfaced following the move of Alburquerque officials to limit the number of hectarage
of mining claims.
MAUDC
has applied 1,943 hectares in this town but the town limited the area to be mined
to only 44.30 ha. based on its approved ordinance governing the Comprehensive
Land use Plan (CLUP).
In
a separate move. Alburquerque town opposed to the MAUDC's application since large-scale
quarrying might adversely destroy its environment.
MGB,
the committee report said, threw out the said application for failure to comply
with some requirements. But MAUDC appealed the rejection but still MGB denied
it.
MAUDC
fell short of securing an approved municipal resolution indorsing its application
or prior to approval of the Declaration of Mining Project Feasibility in accordance
with the DENR Memorandum No. 2004-9, prescribing rules and guidelines in the mines
application.
For
small scale quarrying, a permit to extract must be first secure from the governor's
office and an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) issued by the DENR.
This
town's natural resources had been explored and mined for so many years but miners,
including those engaging small scale ones, failed to rehabilitate after the destruction.
As
this developed, the committee recommended to SP to urge the Bohol Environment
and Management Office to conduct verification and assessment in the area being
applied and to check if proper rehabilitation efforts have been undertaken by
those having a permit. | 
