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Water Pollution in The Philippines

Mining activities in Surigao del Norte, Philippines were blamed for polluting local waterways in 2012 and 2016. Testing found high levels of the carcinogen hexavalent chromium in rivers used for drinking water. In 2016, a nickel mine muddied rivers, killing freshwater life and making well water undrinkable. In response, the environment secretary shut down 28 mines in 2017 for pollution, proposing to rehabilitate sites and replace mines with environmentally-friendly industries.

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Juliane Mayorga
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120 views11 pages

Water Pollution in The Philippines

Mining activities in Surigao del Norte, Philippines were blamed for polluting local waterways in 2012 and 2016. Testing found high levels of the carcinogen hexavalent chromium in rivers used for drinking water. In 2016, a nickel mine muddied rivers, killing freshwater life and making well water undrinkable. In response, the environment secretary shut down 28 mines in 2017 for pollution, proposing to rehabilitate sites and replace mines with environmentally-friendly industries.

Uploaded by

Juliane Mayorga
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Year 2012 & 2016

Mining blamed for

destroying the

waterways in
Surigao del Norte
WATER POLLUTION IN THE PHILIPPINES

Background image retrieved from: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/27/world/asia/philippines-mining-environment.html


Year 2012
In the research conducted last April and May 2012, the river and drinking water in
the communities surrounding the proposed Taganito Nickel Processing Plant
Project and the Taganito Nickel Mining Project, in the municipality of Claver,
Surigao del Norte was analyzed. Water contamination by hexavalent chromium
was found in the results. Hexavalent chromium is known as high toxicity due to
carcinogenicity, liver damage, and skin disease.
Year 2012
It was found that hexavalent chromium in the Hayanggabon River and the Taganito
River exceeded Japan's environmental standards and WHO Guidelines for drinking-
water quality, which was not to exceed 0.05 mg/L. The local community has used

this drinking water for decades.

The Hayanggabon River (May 2012)

The Taganito River (May 2012)


How could this tragedy be

avoided?
This water must be suspended as drinking water

first. Then, Japanese companies and public

institutions must take immediate measures, such

as identifying the water contamination

mechanism and establishing appropriate anti-

pollution measures.
Year 2016
Mining activities were blamed for the siltation, which experts

believe were the cause of some water bodies to turn into

murky brown, that happened in the same Claver town, Surigao


del Norte province.

Siltation
Siltation is considered water pollution when particles such as

silt or clay reach the ocean via rivers and streams because of

ground-moving activities such as mining.


"Talagang siltation kasi wala
kaming nakikitang

mitigating measure doon

para ma-mitigate naman

iyong run off kung sakaling

umulan"
Christie Asumen Apale of the Mines and

Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Region XIII.


Year 2016
In the mountains surrounding

the village of Barangay Magasang,

an open-pit nickel mine was very

noticeable, and this village is located

in a watershed area, where mining is

prohibited by law.
The river had been

muddied with nickel

laterite, making well water

undrinkable and killing the

freshwater mollusks that

villagers once collected from

the banks.
Ronito Eresari, 42, a farmer in the village
Actions that were done to

resolve this tragedy


In February 2017, Gina Lopez, the acting secretary of the environment,

said she was shutting down 28 of the country's 41 mining companies'

operations. Those companies, which account for about half of Philippine


nickel production, have been accused of leaving rivers, rice fields, and

watersheds stained red with nickel laterite.


She said she would soon issue an order banning open-pit mines, calling

the pollution of rivers with heavy metals "a perpetual liability."


Gina Lopez has proposed hiring earlier mineworkers to rehabilitate the

closed sites and install environmentally-friendly industries in mining

areas.
Actions that were done to

resolve this tragedy

"It is time for social justice,""You cannot run your business and affect our

farmers and fishermen."


Gina Lopez in announcing the initial ban in February

"If there's an imminent threat to the environment, we can suspend the

mines"
Roger de Dios, regional director for Caraga
References:
FoE Japan. (2012, September). Public Finance and Environment.
Retrieved December 04, 2020, from
https://www.foejapan.org/en/aid/jbic02/rt/2012Sep.html

GMA News Online. (2016, February 19). Mining blamed for water
pollution in Surigao del Norte. Retrieved December 03, 2020, from
https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/555966/minin
g-blamed-for-water-pollution-in-surigao-del-norte/story/

THANK YOU
MAYORGA, JULIANE D.
Almendral, A. (2017, April 27). Philippines Moves to Shut Mines
Accused of Polluting. Retrieved December 03, 2020, from
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/27/world/asia/philippines-
12 Core A
mining-environment.html

Images retrieved from:


https://www.foejapan.org/en/aid/jbic02/rt/2012Sep.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/27/world/asia/philipp
ines-mining-environment.html

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