Pimentel urged Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Heherson Alvarez to conduct an immediate investigation into the complaints of villagers of Barangay Gango that the Bagaan River and Macajalar Bay are heavily contaminated with mercury, which is being discharged by gold mining operations in the area.
"This is a serious health hazard that should be immediately looked into," he said.
Pimentel, who hails from Cagayan de Oro, noted that while mining operations help provide livelihood to the people, their safety and health and their community’s should also be ensured.
Officials and residents of Barangay Gango said wastewater from gold mining operations, which contains mercury, is drained into the Bagaan River and finds its way into Macajalar Bay, posing grave danger to marine resources of the province.
Pimentel said the DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau should conduct extensive tests of the affected waterways and find out if there could be a remedy to the problem.
"Let us see first if the alleged contamination can be checked and some safety nets can be carried out to prevent mercury-contaminated water from seeping into the river," he said.
Should the small mining operations be stopped, Pimentel said many people who depend on them for livelihood will be affected.
"If we close down the gold mining operations, what jobs can we offer to those families who derive income from them?" he asked.