Marinduque group demands rehabilitation of areas damaged by Marcopper mining
The Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns (MACEC) has formally submitted a Resolution requesting the Marinduque provincial government to “begin the formulation and implementation of a comprehensive rehabilitation plan for areas damaged by the Marcopper Mining Corporation’s previous mining operations.”
MACEC noted that decades after the Marcopper mining disaster, residual toxic mine tailings, heavy metal contamination, structural instability of mine infrastructure, and environmental degradation continue to pose serious risks to public health, local livelihoods, safety, and the environment.
According to the Resolution, rehabilitation funds are already available, necessitating the execution of initial preparations. The organization called for the constitution and regular convening of a dedicated Rehabilitation, Remediation and Oversight Committee to initiate the crafting and enforcement of the rehabilitation plan
Elizabeth Manggol of MACEC said, “We hope that the provincial government immediately acts on our Resolution. Too many decades have passed since the Marcopper disaster, yet we continue to suffer from the devastation. The rehabilitation of damaged areas can no longer be delayed.”
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