Lobby group tapped to oust Gina Lopez?

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Gina Lopez last week announced the closure and suspension of 28 large-scale mining firms for violating environmental laws and mining safety standards.

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, only 13 of the 41 mining companies passed the audit it undertook.

We laud the decision of Secretary Lopez to give the go-signal ordering the closure and suspension of these mining firms, which continue to disregard our environmental laws.

The decision to close the operations of the mining companies was the culmination of the DENR’s mining audit covering all 40 operating large-scale mines in the country.

It will be recalled that back in September 2016, there were 10 mines ordered suspended and some 20 more recommended for suspension.

One need not be an environmentalist or a rocket scientist to see how these giant mining firms abused our environment.

Television footages clearly show how mining operations in several provinces degraded our watersheds, polluted our river systems and damaged agricultural lands.

We’ve heard nary a peep from the mining firms on what they intend to do to rehabilitate areas hit hard by the massive environmental destruction caused by their operations.

The question is: Who will pay for the damage inflicted on our environment? Are ordinary taxpayers like you and me going to shoulder the expenses to repair the damage while large corporations are allowed to go scot-free?

These firms should be made to account for the massive destruction they brought to our natural resources that could already be beyond repair.

We only have to take a look at what happened in the aftermath of the Marcopper Mining tragedy in Marinduque province.

The Boac River is dead. The marine life there has all but completely disappeared.

Fishermen lost their livelihood, while the officers of Marcopper Mining could probably be toasting wine in Canada.

The environment secretary should also ask these mining firms to rebuild and fully compensate the indigenous people exploited and displaced by their mining operations.

We further suggest that Lopez revise the DENR procedure in granting Environmental Compliance Certificates. We heard that the current procedure is prone to red tape and corruption.

Also, the task of investigating the violations of the mining firms should not be left to the Mines and Geosciences Board (MGB) only.

Remember the Padcal mining disaster a few years ago?

It was only the MGB that allowed Philex to resume its Padcal mining operations after its tailings pond dumped 20 million metric tons of sediments into the Balog Creek and Agno River in August 2012.

Given the magnitude and gravity of what was dubbed as the country’s greatest mining disaster, wouldn’t it be better if the MGB were not allowed to be the sole arbiter to decide on this case?

We understand that Lopez has created a committee consisting of officials with different areas of expertise to audit the operations of the mining firms.

However, the enormity of the environmental crisis requires a much bigger body composed of high-level officials, preferably with the rank of Cabinet secretary, to conduct a more thorough investigation.

Best not to leave it to the discretion of a mere bureau under the DENR, much less to mayors, governors and other politicians.

There should be no doubt that the proceedings of the investigation are transparent and beyond reproach. We hope that the fact-finding group created by Lopez with members coming from different backgrounds would be more difficult to influence and manipulate.

Better yet, President Duterte himself should have a more direct hand in resolving this mess. We wish he’d throw another Anti-Money Laundering Council -style episode of righteous indignation to prove that the government is really serious about protecting the environment.

Lopez is right. By ordering the closure and suspension of these mining firms, the government is just ensuring that the Marcopper and Padcal disasters would not happen again.

Clearly, Lopez is determined to implement the provisions in the law, which is to protect the environment and ensure responsible mining.

She has shown that she has the will to help the President get the environmental protection agenda of the administration off the ground and

that she is not intimidated by big-money interests.

As expected, Lopez may be facing the full force of an industry that has always resisted regulation. A good development here is that it appears the President is supporting her.

However, she has to be very careful. She is up against big business. Big business knows how to leverage and to power-play when the situation calls for it.

We heard that a powerful lobby group has already met a senior Cabinet official to act as their “Godfather” to the President to torpedo the DENR secretary’s initiatives versus the mining firms.

But that, as they say, is another story.

Abangan.