He said tons of mine wastes heavily laden with mercury and cyanide flowed out freely from shallow ponds dug by illegal miners and merged with the waters from Dipili River. The Dumaguillas bay has become the catchment basin of the waters from river.
Fish kills were also reported in the area and had been largely blamed to illegal mining operation from Balabag.
Cerilles said wastes from Balabag might be one of the causes of the recurring red tide in Dumaguillas Bay, the source of marine products in the province.
Depore village chieftain Romeo Sungcad said many residents have suffered long enough from the environmental destruction wrought by the illegal mining operations. “We can’t make use of the Dipili River anymore because we know it is laced with toxic chemicals like cyanide and mercury,” he said.
http://www.mindanaoexaminer.com/news.php?news_id=20121028023915
No comments:
Post a Comment