Nickel Asia steps up Hinatuan mine rehab

TAGANA-AN, Surigao del Norte, Philippines —Hinatuan Mining Corp., a subsidiary of listed Nickel Asia Corp., is stepping up its mine rehabilitation as 59 hectares of its area are undergoing restoration to ensure environmental sustainability.

HMC has so far rehabilitated 79 hectares and another 59 hectares will undergo the same process through planting of fast growing species of trees and other agricultural and fruit-bearing trees.

“We continue to do design engineering and implementation of backfilling as part of the physical development of the mined out area. Then we do the biological by stabilizing the slopes to enhance the environmental safety,” HMC resident environmental specialist Jameson Bandala said.

He said the company is undertaking restoration of the mined out area and not just mere rehabilitation.

“With rehabilitation, you just reshape and just plant whatever seedlings. But with restoration, you return the area into its original state as well as the structure of the plant species,” Bandala said.

The rehabilitation and restoration would take an average of five years.

Furthermore, HMC is beefing up the planting of agricultural products such as palm oil, mango, calamansi, bamboo and cacao.

“Right now, we do field trials since these plants are not really native to this area. But that’s where we want to go, for the community to be able to sell the produce,” Bandala said.

“Before we leave the area and declare that it has been totally mined out, the objective of the company is for the people to have a sustainable livelihood, that even if the company will no longer be here, they have something to earn from,” he said.

The company’s Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) issued in 2007 covers 773.77 hectares, 383 hectares of which represent the disturbed area, and will expire by 2032.

The company’s operations is within the Surigao Mineral Reservation area. HMC exports nickel ore specifically saprolite and limonite ore.