Cimatu awaits report on Alcoy dolomite mining
Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu speaks with members of the media during his visit in Alcoy town in Cebu on Friday, September 25, 2020, to lead the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) inspection of dolomite-quarrying and processing companies. CDN Digital photo | Morexette Marie B. Erram (file photo)
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said he had yet to receive the report on the investigation on the alleged violations of the dolomite mining firms in Alcoy town, Cebu.
It has been almost a month since the environment secretary inspected the mining site in the town after the corals in the seas in Alcoy have been damaged due to dolomite debris.
Read: IN PHOTOS: Cimatu visits dolomite-processing, exporting firms in Alcoy
Cimatu said that the suspension of the operations should be enough to contain the damage brought by the mining sites, for now, as the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR-7) and Environment Management Bureau in Central Visayas (EMB-7) continues the investigation.
Read: Cimatu verbally orders suspension of dolomite-quarrying firms
He begged off from revealing their next move for the mining sites until he had seen the recommendations of the two agencies.
“Pag-usapan muna namin. Icheck muna namin ang recommendations nila. (We will talk about it. I will check their recommendations). The EMB-7 will be presenting the results of their investigation today,” said Cimatu.
It can be remembered that the crushed dolomite rocks sourced from the mountains of Alcoy, a fifth-class municipality located approximately 101 kilometers southeast of Cebu City, were used for the artificial white-sand component of Manila Bay’s rehabilitation project.
Read: Dolomite washed out? DENR says it was only covered by ‘black sand’
Cimatu has directed the Environmental Management Bureau in Central Visayas (EMB-7) to collect water samples and conduct air monitoring around the port of the mining site on September 2020.
The mining site has ceased operations since. /dbs
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