Environment Secretary Angelo T. Reyes, together with Canadian Ambassador Peter Sutherland and provincial officials, unveiled over the weekend the P170-million Gossan tailings dam of TVI Resources Development Phils., Inc. in Canatuan, Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte.

Reyes said, “The Gossan dam manifests TVI’s commitment to responsible mining. Its inauguration is a milestone in TVI’s partnership with the Philippine government in showcasing best environmental practices in mining.” Gossan is a term used to indicate the geologic feature of the ore body where gold and silver is located.

Located approximately 800 meters from the mine workings, the Gossan tailings dam consists of a dam, an overflow spillway, impoundment area and an upstream diversion dam. It was designed and constructed to provide a controlled and safe disposal facility for tailings produced by the mine and milling operations.

The construction of the Gossan tailings dam commenced in April 2005, reaching its maximum height of 42 meters on April 2, 2006. Over the next 12 to 14 months, tailings from the mill will continue to be deposited within the gossan dam impoundment.

Secretary Reyes likewise lauded the efforts of TVI’s Polymetallic Mining Project in the area, particularly its achievement in significantly augmenting the tax base of one of the country’s less developed provinces. A royalty of over P6 million went last year to the Subanon indigenous community for their cooperation in setting up the mining operation.

Nationwide, TVI has created around 5,000 jobs, with the Canatuan project generating 650 direct jobs and 170 contractor jobs during the construction and expansion stages. Among those given jobs were more than 325 members of the Subanon tribe in Canatuan.

TVI’s most advanced project, the Canatuan Mine, is a polymetallic, gold, silver, copper and zinc ore body which has been put into operation as the first foreign – financed mine in the Philippines.

TVI Pacific Inc. is a publicly listed Canadian mining company focused on the exploration and production of precious and base metals from district scale large system, high margin projects located in the Philippines and China. ( DENR Public Affairs Office)

May 15 , 2006