Authorities are verifying sightings of fish kill near a large nickel mining operation in Palawan. Last week, residents of Bataraza town reported hundreds of dead fish floating near the port facility used by the Coral Bay Nickel Mining Corp. (CBNC) and the Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corp.The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources was reported to have sent field personnel to collect fish samples in the area.Residents are worried that waste discharges from the nearby mining operations could have poisoned the fish. A caretaker from a lobster stocking facility was interviewed by Inquirer, and said he retrieved up to four kilos of dead fish from just one portion of the bay. Another resident said they previously reported fish kill in the area but no action was made by the companies or the government agencies.
A local businessman said that fish were killed last year, but there was no investigation or action regarding the incident.Waste from a hydrometallurgical processing plant is supposed to be treated before being discharged into the bay. The plant cleanses low grade laterite ore using chemicals such as sulfuric acid.
By Clarinda I. Catimpo
The Palawan Times
No comments:
Post a Comment