The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has suspended the operations of a mining company in Banaybanay, Davao Oriental due to water discoloration and heavy siltation in two of the province's rivers.
According to a statement released Thursday, Jan. 20, DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said he ordered the immediate suspension of the extraction activities of Riverbend Consolidated Mining Corporation/Arc Nickel Resources, Inc., after he received a report saying that the Mapagba and Panatatagan rivers "had turned red."
The siltation of the rivers was attributed to the extraction activity of the said mining firm, according to an initial investigation and assessment conducted by DENR-Davao Region in collaboration with the region's Mines and Geosciences Bureau and Environmental Management Bureau.
Siltation is a type of pollution in which fine sand, mud, and other pollutants get suspended in water, which results in destroyed fish spawning sites, flooding, and poor water quality that may badly affect humans and animals.
The DENR issued a cease and desist order (CDO) and a notice of violation to the company on Jan. 17.
"This is for them to face the consequences immediately. If they will be suspended, so be it. If penalty, or combination of the two, then better to avoid this from happening again," Cimatu said.
"The disturbed surface of the mining company, their stockpiles, and their pond has overflowed due to heavy rains which had been going on for a couple of days. When it reached the river, the residents raised their concerns, particularly the fishermen," he added.
Cimatu vowed that the DENR will continue to monitor the mining activities in the area with the help of the Banaybanay local government.