establishing community-based scientific tools to investigate corporate mining accountability

Workshop 5 Establishing Community-‐based Scien;fic Tools To Inves;gate Corporate Mining

Accountability

Summary of the 1st Day Workshop: Sharing of experiences from the two provinces in the

Philippines with large-‐scale mining opera;on •  Gold mining by Filminera Resources Corpora;on opera;ng in Masbate province – Direct disposal of wastes to the water bodies that can be the poten;al cause for the deaths of the 2 children aMer ea;ng the food derived from the said water body

–  Blas;ng in the mining sites that disrupt the comuni;es living within the vicinity of the mining site.

–  Threat of erosion of stockpiles that would endanger the lives of the communi;es living downstream of the mining site.

Summary of the 1st Day Workshop: Sharing of experiences from the two provinces in the

Philippines with large-‐scale mining opera;on

•  Copper and gold mining by Oceana Gold in Nueva Viscaya – Copper contamina;on of the important river system in the community

– Death of animals who drank water from the impacted river system

Sharing of the technical experts

•  Professor Ron Watkins – Environmental Geochemist •  Topic: Characterizing the ore bodies and their consequen;al Mining

Pollu;on •  Main Points:

–  Mining ac;vity changes the geochemical environment. –  Mining pollu;on can be expressed depending on the environment. –  Developing Community-‐Based Quick Response Capability: Rapid

Assessment of Mining Pollu;on •  Water Pollu;on •  Soil Pollu;on •  Air Emission •  Biodiversity Degrada;on


•  Mr. Mark Muller – Geophysicist •  Topic: Management of opera;onal risks on Mining and

Community-‐Based Assessment Guide for Mining Opera;on •  Main Points:

–  Early stage explora;on have low environmental impact –  Mid to late stage explora;on, drilling can have significant impacts. Addi;ves are added to make the drilling mud viscous and the drilling mud is toxic and can escape into the environment

–  One year of monitoring of baseline/uncontaminated sample sites before mine begins


•  Dr. Viginia Cuevas -‐ Biologist •  Topic: Impact of mining pollutant to the people and the environment – “Leaving Paco, Mankayan, Benguet”, (Mankayan Community Con;nues to Suffer from Pollu;on due to Mining) a 20 minute-‐video presenta;on and discussion on the impact of mining pollutant to communi;es and environment and other mi;ga;ng measures.


•  Dr. Viginia Cuevas -‐ Biologist •  Topic: Impact of mining pollutant to the people and the

environment –  “Leaving Paco, Mankayan, Benguet”, (Mankayan Community

Con;nues to Suffer from Pollu;on due to Mining) a 20 minute-‐video presenta;on and discussion on the impact of mining pollutant to communi;es and environment and other mi;ga;ng measures.

•  Feny Cosico from AGHAM •  Topic: Philippine experience in conduc;ng Environmental

Inves;ga;on Missions –  Main Points: How EIM was used in the environmental campaign and

advocacy of the people

Summary of the 2nd Day Workshop

•  There should be a strong linkage among scien;sts and other stakeholders such as the affected communi;es such as farmers, fisherfolks, indigenous peoples, in order to strengthen the campaign and advocacy against mining plunder and exploita;on caused by large-‐scale mining corpora;on. – What are the poten;al geochemical threats/poten;al threats in general?

– Match the objec;ve/tools on which stage of mining is there on the ground

–  Effec;ve networking of scien;sts to talk about people’s issues: on various levels


•  There is a need to strengthen the science-‐based approach that can be adapted by the communi;es such as the development of a scien;fic tools or methods to monitor the environmental contamina;on and polu;on brought about by unregulated large-‐scale mining opera;on. –  IEC ac;vi;es/Science literacy for ci;zen science –  Training of people to give them the tools and capabili;es and if necessary analysis and assistance in understanding issues

–  Kit development, rapid assessment tools, checklists


•  To conduct policy review of the Environmental Impact System to determine the compliance of the mining corpora;on to the set guidelines and standards in ensuring the protec;on of the environment and the people and to arm the communi;es in lobbying to the local and na;onal government and regulatory agencies with regard to the viola;ons commiced by the mining corpora;on

Announcement

We are reques;ng All Scien;sts in this Forum to what to Help the Affected by Mini g to Join the Discussion in the Na;onal Ins;tute of Physics, UP Diliman in the Laboratory of Dr. Gani Tapang. He will show his innova;ons on real ;me monitoring of water quality.