Norwegian miner may lose env’t permit
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GLT
Nov 24, 2009, 1:50:49 PM11/24/09
to Philippine environment conservation
Norwegian miner may lose env’t permit
The Environment department will cancel the environmental clearance
certificate (ECC) of a Norwegian miner if proven that it did not hold
consultations with resident indigenous people.
"If proven there were no consultations, I will automatically cancel
[the ECC] but I have to follow due process," Environment Secretary
Jose L. Atienza, Jr. said in a consultation with Mangyans on Tuesday.
Last week, Mr. Atienza ordered a 90-day suspension of the ECC issued
to Oslo-based Intex Resources ASA on Oct. 14 for its $3-billion
Mindoro nickel project.
Mr. Atienza said he will also sue erring government employees that
cleared the papers of Intex without a consultation.
The nickel deposit at the 9,800-hectare property is estimated at 198.9
million metric tons (MT) with a nickel grade of 0.86% equivalent to
3.8 billion pounds of nickel.
The miner will spend $2.1 billion to complete the first stage of the
project. The second stage in the mine development will cost the
company another $1.055 billion to increase capacity to 80,000 MT of
nickel, with 700 MT of cobalt per year.
The Mindoro nickel mine is listed as one of the priority projects of
the government, which targets $11 billion in mining investment by
2013. -- Neil Jerome C. Morales
The Environment department will cancel the environmental clearance
certificate (ECC) of a Norwegian miner if proven that it did not hold
consultations with resident indigenous people.
"If proven there were no consultations, I will automatically cancel
[the ECC] but I have to follow due process," Environment Secretary
Jose L. Atienza, Jr. said in a consultation with Mangyans on Tuesday.
Last week, Mr. Atienza ordered a 90-day suspension of the ECC issued
to Oslo-based Intex Resources ASA on Oct. 14 for its $3-billion
Mindoro nickel project.
Mr. Atienza said he will also sue erring government employees that
cleared the papers of Intex without a consultation.
The nickel deposit at the 9,800-hectare property is estimated at 198.9
million metric tons (MT) with a nickel grade of 0.86% equivalent to
3.8 billion pounds of nickel.
The miner will spend $2.1 billion to complete the first stage of the
project. The second stage in the mine development will cost the
company another $1.055 billion to increase capacity to 80,000 MT of
nickel, with 700 MT of cobalt per year.
The Mindoro nickel mine is listed as one of the priority projects of
the government, which targets $11 billion in mining investment by
2013. -- Neil Jerome C. Morales
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