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Rapu Rapu Island Elder Brings Message to Australia for Lafayette Mining Company to stop its destructive operation
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| Manoy Tony, an elder from the remote Rapu Rapu island has made his way to Melbourne to ask Australian mining company Lafayette to stop its destructive operation on his small island home. | |
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Manoy Tony, an elder from the remote Rapu Rapu island has made his way to Melbourne to ask Australian mining company Lafayette to stop its destructive operation on his small island home.
Manoy Tony represents Sagip Isla “Save our Island”, and brings a petition of 3000 signatures of islanders calling for the mine to shut down after a disaster ridden operation that has polluted their environment and threatened livelihoods of people on the island.
A number of cyanide spills that a Presidential fact finding commission concluded were based on the company’s negligence led the Philippines government to suspend the mine’s operations for a number of months.
Manoy Tony stated: “As late as this week, star fish have been found dead in the villages and foul odours on the coastal areas near the mine are being carried around the island. Now the whole village of Pagpolvon has lost its access to clean water for drinking and cooking. They must travel to another village to get water. Our livelihood and environments are being destroyed.”
Typhoons that hit the islands in late 2006 led to mud flows and flash floods in areas near the mining site, claiming 11 victims in two villages. Lafayette denies any causal link between their operations and the flows but provides inaccurate information to counter this hypothesis.
Since its inception, the project has met with fierce resistance from the local communities, supported by a coalition of NGOs, church groups, fisher folks and local government bodies. Frances Quimpo who works for the Centre for Environmental Concerns in the Philippines has investigated the operations of Lafayette and supported local people’s concerns.
“The costs of mining outway the benefits for the communities. Local communities have experienced reductions in fish catch and loss of livelihood. The company has secured a four year tax holiday that can be extended for another four years, which means the Philippines benefits little from the project with a seven year mine life, but the costs to our people are great,” stated Ms Quimpo.
The share price of the operation has continued to decline with large institutional investors such as Westpac selling their shares in the project earlier this year.
“Australian companies like Lafayette continue to threaten the livelihoods and environments of our neighbours in the Asia Pacific. The substandard practices, corner cutting and neglect of local people’s concerns are still common practice in operations overseas and require Australian government action. ” stated Ms Beaumont of the Mineral Policy Institute.
Further Information
Info: Techa Beaumont, Mineral Policy Institute on 0428 970 434/ email advocacy@mpi.org.au
Manoy Tony and France Quimpo from the Philippines are available for interview in Australia until the 12th of June.
Investigations by MPI and Banktrack have identified a number of ongoing concerns including:
Inadequacy of environmental and social impact assessment process
Susceptability to typhoons, as situated right in the Typhoon belt, with three typhoons hitting the island in second half of 2006 leading to damage and halt of the operation and a number of deaths from mud slides.
Serious toxic spills in past and related findings of negligence and breaches of basic industry practices
Unresolved community impacts and questionable social acceptability as reflected in widespread opposition to the mine
Direct and long term environmental impact of the mine, through Acid Rock Drainage, toxic discharges, long term solidity of tailing dam design, direct impact on island and aquatic biodiversity
Effect on emerging ecotourism industry based on whale shark watching
Undue pressure on government structures and militarisation of island, associated human rights issues
Minimal benefits sharing: Tax and revenue issues including a tax holiday lasting the expected life of the mining operation
For more information, please contact:
Techa Beaumont
Workphone: +61 2 9557 9019
Mobile: +61 409 318 406
Created: 08 Jun 2007 | Last updated: 08 Jun 2007
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