PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Dual-listed gold miner OceanaGold has received an order from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to suspend operations at the Didipio mine, in the Philippines.
The company told shareholders that the order repeated allegations previously made by the government, citing petitions from the local government, that nearby houses had suffered damage as a result of blasting at the operations, as well as the mine’s alleged adverse impacts to the agricultural areas in the province.
OceanaGold was given a three-month window to address these issues.
Meanwhile, OceanaGold has filed an appeal with the Office of the President, which stays the execution of the suspension order, allowing Didipio to continue operating during the appeals process.
“We are an environment-friendly and socially responsible mining company that has delivered meaningful benefits to a multitude of stakeholders in host communities that support the mine in the province of Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino.
“We have strong endorsement from our host communities to operate and are a major employer of Filipino nationals, the majority of whom are from the local communities. A suspension of operations will adversely impact thousands of Filipinos directly and indirectly,” said OceanaGold president and CEO Mick Wilkes.
He maintains that the Didipio operation has not violated or breached any laws and expressed his belief that the operation is a template of what is considered “responsible mining” in the Philippines.
Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Regina Lopez has ordered the closure of 23 of the country’s 41 mines and has cancelled 75 mining contracts, with a further five mines suspended.
The move comes as the Philippine government concluded a review of the country’s mines aimed at halting operations considered harmful to the environment.