Susmaryosep! Magmuni-muni po tayo!
Bumigay naman ang bahagi ng Maguila-guila siltation dam noong 1993 na ikinalason ng Mogpog River, tuloy-tuloy hanggang sa kasalukuyan, dahil sa hindi na napigilang pagdaloy ng basurang mina at acid-rock drainage dito.
Noong 1996, sa masasabing pinakamatinding sakuna na dulot ng mina sa kasaysayan at tumagas mula sa imbakan ng tailings sa Tapian tailings dam ang 1.5 - 3 million metro kubiko ng nakalalasong basurang mina. Higit sa 30% ng tailings ang naroon pa rin ayon sa pag-aaral.
Hindi nagawan ng karampatang solusyon ang mga pangyayaring ito at alam na alam naman ito mula Aparri hanggang Jolo, at alam din ng buong mundo, hanggang kagyat na umalis na sa Pilipinas ang Placer Dome ng walang babala, ni-ha, ni-ho.
Paghahabol sa tambol-mayor.
Para magkaroon ng klarong siyentipikong batayan sa paghahabol sa kumpanya at magawa ang reparasyon at rehabilitasyon na kailangang simulan ay pumasok na ang gobyerno ng Pilipinas at provincial LGU para sa isang komprehensibong pag-aaral at dito na umentra ang United States Geological Survey (USGS) para magsagawa ng masusing pag-aaral (2002-2003).
Naglaan ng dalawampung milyong piso (P 20-million) ang pamahalaang nasyonal para isagawa ang nasabing pag-aaral na umabot ng 18 buwan.
Nang matapos ang kanilang pag-aaral ay kinumpirma ng USGS ang mga nauna ng findings ng Klohn-Crppen report na kinomisyon ng PDI para magsagawa ng hiwalay na pag-aaral - peligroso nga ang mga istruktura at maaaring maging sanhi ng matinding sakuna ano mang oras kapag ang mga ito ay bumigay.
Naghain ang USGS ng daglian at short-term na rekomendasyon at ganun din para sa long-term. Naroon ang mga dapat gawin sa Tapian Pit, sa Maguila-guila Dam, sa Bol River Dam, sa Upper at Lower Makulapnit Dam.
Ang pinaka-nakakapangambang problema sa Marcopper na matindi ang ginagawang pinsala sa kapaligiran lalo na sa mga ilog ay:
1. Pagdaloy ng acid-rock drainage mula sa Tapian Pit at iba pang lugar patungo sa Ilog ng Makulapnit, Bol at Maguila-guila.
2. Pagguho ng lupa sanhi ng basurang mina papunta sa ilog ng Makulapnit, Bol at Maguila-guila.
The Maguila-guila impoundment is currently filled and allowing mineralized sediment to flow directly into the Mogpog River system, and mine wastes from the central portions of the mine site are flowing unchecked into the Bol River. Although the lower Makulapnit siltation impoundment is still trapping eroded mine wastes, it appears that, given sufficient time, it will eventually fill completely, allowing mine wastes to then flow unchecked from the south side of the mine site into the Makulapnit River.
Further, the potentially imminent failures (as identified by the Engineering Team) of the Makulapnit, Bol and/or Maguila siltation dams, coupled with the continued large-scale erosion of mine wastes into the siltation impoundments behind the dams, increases the likelihood of potentially catastrophic releases of large volumes of mineralized, acid-generating mine wastes into the Makulapnit, Bol, and Maguila-guila rivers, similar to the release that occured in 1993 from the failure of the Maguila-guila siltation dam.
- U.S. Geological Survey, Mining Impacts on Marinduque: Engineering, Health and Environmental Issues
In 2000, the geological survey found levels of cadmium, cobalt, copper, zinc and lead in the causeway that were toxic to marine life, and in 2004, it noted "elevated tissue levels of copper, cadmium and lead ... for several species of fish collected in Calancan Bay.''
The Philippines Non-communicable Disease Control Service also found high levels of lead and cadmium in the soil and air around the bay, including one site where lead levels were three times higher than the U.S. standard, and cadmium seven times the limit, Oxfam reports.
In 1997, health authorities tested 59 local children and found all of them had high levels of lead in their blood, prompting Philippines President Fidel Ramos to declare a "state of calamity'' for three villages around the bay.Several children were sent to Manila for the painful process of blood detoxification; 74 less serious cases were treated with medication.
For others, intervention came too late: According to Oxfam, 14-year-old Calancan Bay resident Marvic Quindoza died in 1998 of heavy-metal poisoning. Last October, toxins killed 19-year-old Ambeth Relloque, also from the area, the agency says. In 2003, Roden Reynoso died of the consequences of arsenic and lead poisoning, according to his doctor. He was eight. From: Oxfam International report highlights continuing problems in Marinduque
"The weight of scientific evidence demonstrates that the mine tailings present in the Province's waterways do not currently pose and have not posed an unacceptable risk on human health."
"The weight of scientific evidence demonstrates that the mine tailings present in the Province's waterways do not currently and have not had an unacceptable impact on the environment."
Papayagan ba ng mga gising na Marinduqueno pati na ng Malacanang na nakialam na diumano ang ganitong klaseng panibagong kahangalan at biktimahin ng wholesale ang sambayanang Marinduqueno?
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