Investigating Mining Pollution and Plunder in Nueva Vizcaya

EARTH SCIENCE

Kurt Drahcir Mercado

Micah Nazarene Rosagaran

Neil Bryan Pita

Diane Umali

Kyla Mancol

Submitted to

Ms. Sherry Mae Camus

Question: What is the importance of Begnotea taking samples of water and
sediments in Didiplo River? What analysis do you think he will do with it?

It is important for Bignotea to take samples of waters in Didiplo river to

know its current state because water in the river is polluted and water is
needed for agriculture. When copper concentrations in the water and
sediments in the impacted areas greatly exceeded the metals safe levels, it
could result to death of aquatic organisms, which will affect the ecosystem
of the animals. Direct contact with humans could be deadly. In fact, mining
place is like a place where a nuclear bomb is detonated. Trees that hold
the ground is gone for another purpose. Concept of life would be
impossible to regenerate in the polluted waters. In areas where people are
near to a mining site, their laboratory tests says that their body contains
the metals from the mining site because of the water they take is the water
that has a great concentration of metals such as copper, lead, arsenic and
mercury.

The importance of taking samples of water and sediments in the river is to

determine how risky the water is it for the humans and animals. Without a
study, it would leave us living closer to the risk of harmful minerals.

Karl Begnotea is a biologist who serves as an organizer and field researcher

of the Kalikasan People’s network for the Environment. His analysis within
the ecosystem in the mining area in Nueva Vizcaya determines the
contamination of heavy metals in some sites that exceeded the safety
levels for humans

This then brings our conclusion that the analysis that he would do with it is
that his research will help save the nearby ecosystems and take it away
from another worsening environmental risk
 Question: Explain how mining pollution can affect other towns and
municipalities in Nueva Vizcaya.

According to the site, the stories of local indigenous and pleasant

population had an alarming common thread: that their lives only worsened
since the mining companies occupied their lands. Several instances of
violence, harassment, deception, and other human rights violations both by
the two mining companies (Oceana Gold and FCF minerals) were
documented. This matter is just an effect to the people living within the
mining site. The effect is not yet within the other towns an municipalities.

Mining pollution contributes to the worsening environmental risks. The

contamination of high concentrations of Copper ( a heavy metal with
potential harmful effects) was observed in Dinaoyan River and its
confluence with Surong Creek. Irrigation and aquatic life is greatly affected
because of the concentration of the minerals in the water.

When the water flows from the mining site to the nearby towns, the toxic
chemicals could build up in vegetables, fruits, fisheries, and other
agricultural products that could end up in our farm markets. The nearby
town could suffer the consequences of having a mining site on their town
such as food poisoning due to food and water contamination brought by
the chemicals from the mining site which was proven harmful and
hazardous to our health.
 Question: Define the communities “continuing struggles”. What are they
fighting for? What have they lost?

To define the communities “Continuing struggles”, we must first know if

the community suffer? Basically it is answerable by yes in a first glance.
First, the community is struggling for their safety. The promises of the
mining companies mentioned in the article states that the promise was just
remained on a paper, with no actions followed. The companies should be
compliant to the environmental and social regulations required by the
national government. But, the biggest question is WILL THEY COMPLY?
WHEN AND HOW WILL THEY COMPLY FOR THE COMMUNITY?. Second is
the instances of “Development Aggression” that despoiled our natural
resources and environment, and rob our future generations of a
sustainable future.

What are the local people fighting for? The people are fighting for their
safety, which was gone when the mining started on their place. Tomorrow
isn’t predictable. So, it is not bad to resolve the people’s claim for their own
safety, because it is the right of everyone. They are also fighting for their
rights to make their life better. It was mentioned in the article that their
lives worsened since the mining companies occupied their land. Did they
really fight? Yes. Some of the evidence is that there were violence,
harassment, deception and human right violations that disrupted their
peaceful lives.

What did they lost? Everything. They lost the peaceful life they started
long before the mining companies occupied their lands. Second, they lost
their assurance that they will be safe. Their tomorrow isn’t guaranteed to
be another day since they will struggle for the resources to survive. Aquatic
organisms are dead, and the rivers which could be a source of water was
polluted, and they were exposed to the concentrations of it.