"These extremely high levels of the heavy metals found in the
samples are toxic to plants, animals and humans. The proximity of
the mine to the sea means that the marine organisms such as corals
are likely to be impacted causing harm to the fragile coral reef
ecosystem. Such impacts on the reef would be a disaster for marine
biodiversity, including the whale shark, and also local fisheries,"
said Dr Janet Cotter, Greenpeace Scientist onboard the
Esperanza.
In April 2005, the Australian firm started mining gold, silver,
copper and zinc on Rapu Rapu Island. The poor environmental
safeguards resulted in spills of cyanide and other contaminants
from the mine spilled into the sea and around the island, resulting
in massive fish kills after heavy rains in October 2005. The mine
stopped processing but in July this year a 30-day trial run
commenced to see if the mine could operate without causing
contamination.
On July 18, a fishkill occurred in Mirikpitik Creek, one of the
creeks leading out of the mine premises. Greenpeace sampled the
creek at the beginning of August and found it to be clearly
affected in its lower stretch by acid mine drainage. The creek
waters were acidic in this section, and the presence of the
characteristic yellow solid precipitate indicated that this creek
is significantly impacted due
to acid mine drainage. This acid mine drainage has resulted in
very high levels of heavy metals in this creek, particularly
cadmium, copper and zinc. These metals were present in dissolved
forms at many hundreds of times above general background levels for
these metals in river water. Cadmium and copper are both highly
toxic to plants,
animals and humans and many aquatic species are very sensitive
to cadmium and copper. Ongoing exposure to zinc at sub lethal
concentrations can also impact aquatic organisms.
It is clear that even from this 30 - day trial, Lafayette is
causing contamination of the waters on Rapu Rapu. If full-scale
mining is allowed on Rapu Rapu, it will be an ecological disaster
for the local ecology.
"Toxic pollution from the mine would clearly affect the coastal
and marine ecosystems of Rapu-Rapu Island. Therefore, Lafayette's
mining operations in Rapu Rapu must be permanently shut down.
Immediate clean up and rehabilitation of the mine site and all
affected areas must also take place," said Beau Baconguis,
Greenpeace campaigner onboard the Esperanza.
The Esperanza is in the Philippines on the latest leg of her
global Defending Our Oceans expedition to highlight the wonders and
the environmental threats to the world's oceans and to campaign for
the establishment of marine reserves. Scientists recognize the
Philippine archipelago as the world's centre of marine
biodiversity, but is also the most highly threatened, citing the
danger of mass extinction in a scale similar to that of the
destruction of the Brazilian rainforests.
Greenpeace is an independent, campaigning organisation, which uses non-violent, creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems, and to force solutions essential to a green and peaceful future.