LOST RIVERS

LOST LIVES
The Marcopper Mining Disaster in Marinduque
The views expressed in these presentations are the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the
views or policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), or its Board of Directors or the governments they
represent. ADB does not guarantee the source, originality, accuracy, completeness or reliability of any
Adeline
statement, information, data, finding, interpretation, advice, opinion, or view presented, nor does Reyes
it make and
any representation concerning the same.
Norly Grace Mercado
May 2017, ADB AGM
42-YEAR STRUGGLE

1975 - 2016
1969

ADB: US$40 million loan

EDC:US$1.36 million loan (Export Dec Corp)
CPP:$351 million (Barrick) (Canada Pension
Plan
1975

Calancan Bay : 84 million tons of

waste sludge tailings dumped
from 1975 to 1988 (13 years)
1981

Cease and Desist order

was not followed
1991

Tailings Dam was constructed in

the Maguila-Guila Creek
(Mogpog), to hold back the
contaminated silt from theSan
Antoniopit.
1993

DECEMBER 6, 1993 (13 years)

Mogpog river dam burst during a typhoon
(Monang/Lola), where two children were swept
to their deaths
1996

MARCH 1996 - tailings spilled into the 26-km

longBoacRiver, from a badly-sealed
drainage tunnel at the base of Tapian pit --
1.6 million liters of waste that spilled into
the river, killing the river instantly.
1997
March 1997, team found out unacceptable lead
and mercury level in 7 of the 22 children tested;
two adults tested positive for lead contamination.

ADB and Placer Dome transfered the banks

interest to MR Holdings, Ltd., a company created
by Placer in theCayman Islands. US$20 million
was paid to ADB. Then, project documents at the
Bank were no longer accessible, and is not covered
by the 1994 Information Disclosure Policy. ADB
washed off its hands from the tragedy.
1998

President Ramos declared a state

of calamity in the province of
Marinduque.
2001

LRC legal servicing :

Rita Natal, et. al. vs. Marcopper,
Civil Case 01-10 for Torts and Damages,
filed April 6, 2001 at Branch 38, Boac
Regional Trial Court
2006

Hiding behind corporate veil

With Marcopper effectively bankrupt, Placer Dome and

MR Holdings are playing hard to find. LRC unsuccessfully
tried to serve a court summons on the companies
letterbox offices in Manila.

Placer Dome was acquired by Barrick Gold Corp. in

2006)
2016

Legal case update

Until now,BoacRiver compensation and

rehabilitation are not yet completed. Compensation
to communities in and rehabilitation of neighboring
towns remain uncertain.

SALAMAT!