Marcopper to get ECC for remediation

The Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is poised to issue a "special" environmental compliance certificate (ECC) to Marcopper Mining Corp. to pave the way for the immediate remediation of its mining site in Marinduque.

The Marcopper has invoked the cancellation of its ECC shortly after the mine tailings spill in Marinduque in March 1996 for its failure to carry out the remediation, as ordered by Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Michael Defensor.

Undersecretary for Mining and Legal Affairs Deinrado Simon Dimalibot said the ECC may be released next week.

Dimalibot, however, said they are carefully processing the ECC to restrict it to only the remediation.

"The issuance of the ECC to Marcopper will definitely cause a stir, especially among the residents of Marinduque (who fear) that Marcopper might use it to fully operate again," he said.

On March 24, 1996, about four million tons of tailings from the Marcopper mining site in Marinduque spilled into the main river system, affecting a number of barangays.