Philippines minister wants to ban new mines as clampdown deepens – by Enrico Dela Cruz and Manolo Serapio Jr (Reuters U.S. – October 14, 2016)

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MANILA – The Philippines’ mining minister wants to prolong a ban on new mines and will review all environmental permits previously granted to the minerals industry, ramping up a campaign to clamp down on damage from the sector in the Southeast Asian nation.

Miners criticized the proposals made on Friday by Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Regina Lopez, saying she seemed determined to put the “industry to sleep”.

The Philippines is the world’s top nickel ore supplier and an environmental audit that has halted a quarter of its 41 mines, and the risk that 20 more maybe shuttered has spurred a rally in global nickel prices. “I want to put a moratorium on any new mining,” Lopez told a media briefing.

Lopez, a committed environmentalist who has described open-pit mining as “madness”, said she wanted to continue a ban put in place by a previous government in 2012, dashing industry hopes that some restrictions may be lifted following the audit that finished in August.

“I don’t want to fight the mining companies, I can work with them as long as they don’t silt the river, destroy the rice fields.” Lopez also said her agency would review around 800 environmental compliance certificates (ECC) including those granted to mines. That would come on top of the industry audit that led to the current mine suspensions.

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