THE Mining Industry Coordinating Council (MICC) has approved the guidelines on the conduct of an "objective, fact-finding, science-based" review of mining operations nationwide, starting with those ordered shuttered or suspended last month by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Co-chaired by Secretaries Carlos Dominguez III of the Department of Finance (DOF) and Regina Lopez of the DENR, the MICC also decided in its Friday meeting to complete the review to be conducted by five interdisciplinary technical review teams (TRTs) within three months, with primary focus on the technical, legal, social, environmental and economic aspects of the affected mining operations.
"The Council approved the guidelines for the conduct of an objective, fact-finding and science-based review of the operations of the mining companies, in accordance with specific mining contracts concerned and other pertinent laws rules and regulations," said Dominguez after the meeting.
Lopez, who was not present at the meeting, was represented by DENR Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Maria Paz Luna.
It was the MICC's second meeting since Lopez ordered last February 2 the closure of 23 mine sites and the suspension of five others on environmental grounds. The DENR secretary later cancelled on February 14 some 75 Mineral Production Sharing Agreements (MPSAs) still in the pre-operation stage.
The review, which is mandated under Executive Order No. 79, "will initially cover the 28 mine sites that were recommended for closure and suspension," according to the guidelines approved by the MICC.
Also present in the meeting were representatives of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) and the local government units.
According to the guidelines, the review shall take off from the existing reports, such as audit reports and checklists, prepared by the DENR audit team and Technical Review Committee (TRC).
The DENR will provide and make available the copies of the documents in the DENR data room for easy access during the conduct of the review. Ocular inspections may also be conducted, if deemed necessary, by the TRT and if funds permit.
The DENR earlier said that the MICC could make use of the audit reports it prepared on all mining sites that were ordered suspended or closed.
The guidelines provide that the technical review experts of the TRTS “shall be independent and [have] no known conflict of interest” with the mining sector or any anti-mining non-government organization, according to the organizational framework adopted by the MICC's Technical Working Group (TWG) during an earlier meeting.
Under the organizational framework, the five TRTs will go over the compliance of the 28 mine sites with applicable agreements, submissions, laws and regulations and impact of their operations.
The five TRTs will also tap the academe and engage experts from State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) to help conduct the review.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the DENR will also provide qualified technical personnel and provide available data and records to each TRT.
The MICC will present the findings and submit its recommendations to the Office of the President, which shall make a final decision on the DENR's closure and suspension orders, the approved guidelines stated. (SDR/VoxPop Philippines)