BALGOS PROPOSED ANTI-OPEN-PIT MINING ORDINANCE	June 24 , 2008

Deeply concerned with the continuous environmental degradation now confronting this mineral rich endowed province where plenty of mineral resources were discovered and skeptical with the presence of mining companies flocking the province for mining purposes not to mention the brazen fact of the catastrophic effect of open-pit mining, Board Member Edu Balgos came up with a proposed Anti-Open-Pit Mining Ordinance.

Entitled “An Ordinance Prohibiting Open-Pit Mining in the Province of Nueva Vizcaya and Imposing Penalties for Violation thereof”, the proposal is now in the Committee on Legal Affairs and Environment after it has been passed on its first reading.

Balgos, a vocal supporter of Governor Cuaresma’s plight against the persistent defiance of Oceana Gold Phil, Inc. to pay its quarrying tax obligation to the province said that there is a need for the immediate passage of the Ordinance to avert open-pit mining in Nueva Vizcaya.

Under said proposed Ordinance, anyone who are into or going into prospecting, exploration, development or extraction stages of mining must first secure from the Governor an Open-Pit Mining Free Certificate to guarantee conformity to the provision of the Ordinance.  This will likewise give authority to the Governor the police power over the mining areas and the issuance of closure order in violation of the ordinance.

The proposed law shall apply to corporations, entities or individuals who are into mining whether or not they are in the prospecting, exploration, development or extraction stages emphasizing the “no exemption” provision even to those with existing contract or agreement with the national government. Penal provision is likewise embodied in said proposal.#nequita castro