Gold Fields, the 4th largest gold mining company worldwide has started its community assessment and ocular visit at Mankayan, Benguet.
In relation to this, citizens started reacting in different ways. Some are in favor while others are not. It is true that having the company operate here would generate employment in the locality and will also increase income of the district through tax. However, mining definitely damages the environment in the long run. Large area of land will be affected and utilized starting from blasting, preparation of tailing ponds & tailing disposals, the crusher plant area, stockpile area for ore materials & waste materials, etc. Chemicals such as mercury and cyanide used in mining will impose health hazards to plants, animals and human. Mining can cause erosion and landslide that will vastly cause death and destroy surrounding environment like farms, rivers or any bodies of water. Mining chemicals also makes soil not suitable for planting. It will probably worsen the erosion we already had experienced which, until now is thought to be primarily caused by the underground activities.
Goldfields connote world-class responsible mining, and their practices are guided by its Sustainable Development Framework which includes Occupational health and safety; Human Rights; Ethics and Corporate Governance; Risk Management; Environment; Material Stewardship and supply chain management; Community and Indigenous People; and Stakeholder Engagement.
Through responsible mining, the negative outcomes we had feared could possibly be reduced or may even be prevented. In this way, we can have the benefits that mining can bring. The only step needed is the proper information dissemination for the people in the community.
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