After complying with all the pre-conditions set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Lafayette Philippines Inc. (LPI) has been given the go-signal to start the 30-day test run of its base metal plant in the Rapu-Rapu polymetallic mine in Albay.

“The decision to officially start the test run was based on the validation reports of our regional offices, the Multi-partite Monitoring Team (MMT), the Mine Rehabilitation Fund Committee (MRFC), the recommendations of third party experts and the endorsements of local government units and host communities,” Secretary Angelo T. Reyes said.

The order is contained in a resolution issued by the Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB) after Sec. Reyes, other senior DENR officials and third party experts personally inspected the environmental and safety measures instituted by the company.

Field validation conducted by the DENR regional office in the Bicol Region, MMT and the MRFC disclosed LPI’s compliance with the following :

• The corrective measures instituted by the company to adequately respond to emergency situations, such as a spill incident;
• The improvement of the detoxification facility to ensure that mill effluents are within DENR standards;
• The construction and build-up of the tailings dam with due consideration of its safe freeboard and impounding capacity;
• The safe storage of all chemicals and reagents; and
• The treatment and control of acid mine drainage have been all provided and considered in preparation for the project’s 30-day test run.

Independent experts such as Engr. Marcelo Bolaño (dam stability), Dr. Carlos Primo David (environmental management and pollution control), Jojo Bacani (environmental management system and detoxification) and Joshue Bordon (safety and emergency preparedness) all agreed that the company is now ready for the test run.

The 30-day test run will determine the adequacy of remedial measures and environmental safeguards that were put in place by the company to prevent a repeat of the two wastewater spills last October. The test run will also determine the production efficiency of Lafayette’s base metal plant in processing copper and zinc, as well as its emergency response mechanism.

During the test run, Lafayette is required to commission third-party experts to assess and recommend measures regarding the integrity of the tailings dam and the adequacy of its preventive measures to address acid mine drainage, and to submit agreement with the EMS Auditor to ensure that the EMS process for ISO certification for 1400 is started.

After the test-run, the company must conduct regular sampling of water and tailings for physico-chemical and trace metals; maintain water quality within DENR standards for pH, total suspended solids, cyanide, iron, mercury, cadmium, lead, zinc, copper and chromite; submit final mine decommissioning and rehabilitation plan by December 2006; and put up of a deposit amounting to 50% of the decommissioning and rehabilitation plan budget within six months after approval.

July 11, 2006