01-06-09

Mining – India 1
1. Iron ore exports drop 12% as freight charge takes toll 1
2. Illegal mining on in Koira 2
3. Mining companies, govt have to sit together for answers 3
4. I know the ground realities about the bauxite mining – Minister Balaraju 4
5. Chhattisgarh to take tough stand against mining firms 5
Mining – International 5
6. Conservation concerns over new mining project 5
7. Invisible' Protestors Condemn Tribe's Destruction 7
8. Copper mines lease for HCL 8
9. ‘More need to benefit from mining’ 9
10. 30 killed in China coal mine blast 10
11. Mining investments in Mozambique skyrocketing 11
12. Greens miffed at Obama's mining moves 12
13. Mining ‘guru’ killed in Diepsloot 12
14. Mining firm’s reforest program gaining support from LGUs, residents Science 13
15. LET'S BE VERY CAREFUL WITH LIMESTONE MINING 16
Other News 17
16. Ex-minister warns of water crisis 17
17. Agriculture should be vital part of climate change meet: Experts 18
18. Ramesh against dilution of environment clearance process 19
19. Ramesh keen to unlock afforestation fund 20
20. Use rural development funds fully, says Agatha 22



Mining – India

Iron ore exports drop 12% as freight charge takes toll

1 Jun 2009, 0010 hrs IST, Pramugdha Mamgain & Subhash Narayan, ET Bureau

NEW DELHI: India’s iron ore exports dropped 12% year-on-year in March, interrupting the trend of rising sales in the previous three months,

as expensive rail freight takes its toll on shipments from Karnataka and eastern India, say leading mining companies.

Iron ore exports grew 0.4% in fiscal 2008-09 to 105 million tonnes mainly due to moderate revival in demand from Chinese steel producers. Around 80% of India’s iron ore exports are billed to China, with Japan and Korea buying the rest. India produces close to 200 million tonnes iron ore every year.

Exports of iron ore, a key input in steel making, finally picked up in December 2008 after decelerating for seven consecutive months according to data compiled earlier by Minerals & Metals Trading Corporation, Goa Mineral Ore Exporters Association, and Kudremukh Iron Ore Company.

October and November 2008 were bad for domestic iron ore companies as they couldn’t find overseas orders. But when demand for steel began reviving slowly, iron ore purchases started picking up from December, 2008 onwards and are reflecting in strong January export figures, say analysts tracking the steel sector.

“The Chinese government, in the past few months, has taken various fiscal measures to safeguard domestic industries. This, coupled with the fall in global iron ore prices, has pushed up demand for Indian ore,” said Federation of Indian Mining Industry (FIMI) president Rahul Baldota. However, the main concern remains high rail freight costs, he added.

Iron ore prices in the global market fell 40% to $50 per tonne early this month from $85 per tonne in February 2009.

Currently, the freight classification of iron ore for exports is 200X, which constitutes 50-60% of FOB price of iron ore. FIMI has proposed reclassification of iron ore to class 120, which will bring down cost burden by 50%.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Foreign-Trade/Iron-ore-exports-drop-12-as-freight-charge-takes-toll/articleshow/4601429.cms

Illegal mining on in Koira


Prasanjeet Sarkar
First Published : 31 May 2009 03:23:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 31 May 2009 11:18:08 AM IST
ROURKELA: The mining authorities recently seized huge amount of illegally mined iron ore from Koira mining sector of Bonai sub-division and recovered a fine of around Rs 18 lakh.
Mining industry sources, however, describe the disclosures as just the tip of the iceberg as rampant illegal mining of iron ore continues unabated.
Acting on a tip off, mining authorities and police searched the mines in Kriakudar, Kadalia and Mirthida villages and found around 430 tonnes of illegally raised iron ore. The ore was dumped along the roads and transported to crushers.
The Nilachal Ispat Nigam Ltd (NINL) has been originally allotted the mining lease, but in the absence of any supervision illegal mining was carried out.
Koira-based Deputy Director (Mines) PC Patra said a broker Harihar Prasad, proprietor of Harsh Industries, a crusher unit, Debendra Gupta and a truck operator were found guilty and Rs 18.89 lakh was recovered from them. He said the iron ore was also confiscated. If the NINL failed to act as per the guidelines, a recommendation would be made to revoke its lease, Patra added.
Sources said due to slowdown in iron industry the number of operational crusher units has come down to around 40 from 75. Yet, to make a fast buck most of them are resorting to illegal procurement of iron ore from various sources.
A source said the penal action has time and again failed to be a deterrent. They confided that mining areas of Kalmong, Kanua and Malda are now bearing the brunt of illegal mining in the absence of deterrent action and supervision.

http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Illegal+mining+on+in+Koira&artid=WCvVNK7H6CM=&SectionID=mvKkT3vj5ZA=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=nUFeEOBkuKw=&SEO=


Mining companies, govt have to sit together for answers


31 May 2009, 0251 hrs IST



Some of the oldest and most productive coal mines of the Bengal-Jharkhand region are in the Nimcha area that shot into the headlines a few months

ago after fires, smoke and gas burst out of fissures in the ground. There was local unrest and Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL) did not waste any time in undertaking corrective measures.

The first thing that the company did was to dig a deep trench to separate the village from the active mines. Fly ash was dumped to fill up the area that had seen subsidence. The measures seemed to have worked. When the team of German experts visited the spot immediately after their arrival in Asansol, there were no significant signs of underground fires. There was little cause to celebrate though.

When Dr Hartwig Gielisch led his team to Nimcha on Thursday, locals were seen carrying away baskets of coal from the area. An investigation confirmed their worst fears. Locals had started tunnelling under the village. Even as Gielisch and the others watched, the entrance to one shaft collapsed. The Germans threw up their hands in despair. As it is, Nimcha is a challenge for them. The last mining operations that took place near the village was in 1922 and there are no maps available.

"Things were improving here. Locals did the silliest thing possible. Fires may spread in the galleries of the unauthorised mines' before long. This may result in subsidence all over again," Gielisch warns.

Neither Gielisch nor project co-ordinator Dr Satish K. Trehan are comfortable with the dumping of fly ash. They point out that the fly ash is unfiltered and no analysis was done to check its coal content. It may have worked for the time being but could actually fuel the flames later.

While Trehan and the German team are receiving support from a section of Coal India and ECL officials, some within the organisation have already started questioning why the Germans needed to be called in when experts are available in India.

Trehan says that work should start from the day the Germans submit their report. If red tape results in time loss, the report will lose its relevance. The situation is changing on a daily basis. If the contract is awarded, Indians will do the actual job and provide heavy equipment like bulldozers, excavators and dumpers. The Germans will supervise the operations. "The plan is to extinguish the fires in such a way that most villages will not have to be relocated. After the fires have been extinguished, the remaining coal can be brought out," Trehan says.

He believes that the conflict between villagers and authorities will continue till the mining companies start looking at things differently. "Valuable coal reserves are being lost due to the unauthorised mining and fires. The only people who stand to gain under the circumstances are the organised gangs who purchase the coal from locals at a throwaway price. Mining companies should train villagers and get them to work in mines, but in a scientific manner. The companies can then purchase the coal from them. In this way, the companies will not have to employ more people but can save the country's resources from pilferage" Trehan says.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Kolkata-/Mining-companies-govt-have-to-sit-together-for-answers/articleshow/4598950.cms

I know the ground realities about the bauxite mining – Minister Balaraju

31 May 2009, 0211 hrs IST, TNN


VISAKHAPATNAM: Minister for tribal welfare, Pasupuleti Balaraju said providingdrinking water, better education and medical facilities would top

his list of priorities for the tribals.

The minister, who came to the city for the first time after taking charge, was given a grand welcome from party workers at the airport on Saturday. He later addressed the party cadre at the city Congress office.

Speaking to mediapersons, Balaraju said he needs to examine the government policy on the proposed bauxite mining in the Visakha agency before expressing his views on it. "I know the ground realities about the bauxite mining. But I have to go through the government policies first and then only I will be able to speak on that issue," the minister said.

The government has been facing strong opposition from the Maoists who have been encouraging the tribals to take up anti-mining agitations with the help of the Left parties. The Maoists had blasted the houses of Balaraju in GK Veedhi and Chintapally two years ago alleging he was not speaking up against the bauxite mining.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Hyderabad/Water-education-tops-Balarajus-priority-list/articleshow/4598728.cms

Chhattisgarh to take tough stand against mining firms

May 31st, 2009SindhTodayLeave a commentGo to comments
Raipur, May 31 (IANS) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has asked the industry department to take a tough stand against 14 mining companies that failed to fulfil their commitment of planting saplings, an official said Sunday.
The industry department is now planning to cancel the mining leases of the companies, both public and private, blaming them for “environment neglect”.
“The government has taken a serious note of consistent failure of 14 companies to plant saplings along roads and in areas where they are responsible for environmental degradation due to mining of iron ore or coal,” an official in the industry department told IANS.
The official said the chief minister had asked the industry department to consider cancellation of mining leases of industrial houses because they were committed to promote greenery but failed to honour their promises.
Extensive mining has caused massive deforestation in Chhattisgarh. In 2007, various companies planted saplings in just 110 km of area against a target of 391 km.
http://www.sindhtoday.net/news/1/15855.htm
Mining – International

Conservation concerns over new mining project

By Paul Robinson
Updated Fri May 29, 2009 10:35am AEST

The state and federal governments have been warned a new mining project in Queensland's central-west will destroy a major conservation park in the region.

Waratah Coal has secured backing from a Chinese company for a $6.5 billion coal development near Alpha, west of Emerald.

But Waratah's mining permit includes parts of the 8,000 hectare Bimblebox Nature Refuge.

Refuge manager Ian Hoch says it is vital endangered plants and wildlife on the property are protected.

"It's big tracts of land that make all the difference now," he said.

"If we lose species unexpectedly there's this lag period when we change the landscape and it doesn't all settle down for 50 years and then there's a wave of extinctions and it's only big tracts of land that can hold this up.

"All the different species have their territories and breeding capacity."

Mr Hoch says once bushland is mined it can never be brought back to its fully natural state.

"Mining and conservation don't go together, it's the end game basically, you clear fell the land, that's the strip mining that we see around it, so I don't think there's much point in trying to, it's a waste of money to try and combine the two," he said.

"That's what we're faced with now, they're just diametrically opposed."

Canberra research assistant Sonya Duus says the eight thousand hectare Bimblebox is a very important natural environment.

"It's got about a dozen threatened species on the place, there's about another dozen that are likely to occur there," she said.

"It's in the recharge zone for the Great Artesian Basin, in fact the whole mine site that is proposed is in that zone.

"It's got large long term research projects on the place which are looking at fire and grazing, it's really relevant to the whole bio-region, those research projects."

Ms Duus says there are several endangered species found at Bimblebox.

"The yellow throated miner is a bird species which is considered endangered," she said.

"Horsfield's bronze-cuckoo, black-faced cuckoo-shrike, rainbow bee eater, inland forest bat, spectacled hare-wallaby, speckled warbler, another bird, there's been sightings of koalas."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/05/29/2583972.htm

Invisible' Protestors Condemn Tribe's Destruction


5






WASHINGTON, May 29 - Invisible demonstrators in London protested Wednesday the Indian government's decision to permit a British company to mine the Dongria Kondh tribe's sacred mountain and source of livelihood in Orissa, India.
What's the Story?
Wearing t-shirts spelling out the word invisible and carrying blank placards, protesters from the indigenous rights group Survival International targeted the Indian High Commission in London, drawing attention to how the human rights of the Dongria peoples have been largely ignored.
The British company Vedanta Resources plans to build an open-pit mine in the Niyamgiri hills and extract the mountain's rich resource of bauxite .
In an effort to stop the mining project, the Dongria Kondh submitted this week an appeal to the Indian government in Delhi.
While Vedanta has claimed the Dongria are in favor of the mining project, Survival reports the Dongria are vehemently opposed to the mine and have not been consulted by the company nor told what the impacts will be on their villages, forests, and sacred sites.
Life of the Dongria and Impact of the Proposed Mining
The Niyamgiri Hills are home to more than 8,000 Dongria Kondh wholead a self-sufficient life, nurturing the forest-covered region andrelying on it for their food, culture, and medicines, writes ActionAid UK, an international development organization. They also worshipthe mountain as their god.
The mine would devastate the ecology of the region and spell theend of the Dongria Kondh's independent way of life, polluting thestreams and destroying the forests they rely on, addsSurvival International. Ill health, misery, and destitution already afflict many hundreds ofother Kondh people in the area, thanks to the Vedanta [bauxite] refinery at thebase of the Niyamgiri hills.
Many people havealready lost their homes due to the construction of the refinery and, continues Survival,the Orissa government's pollution control board has ruled thatchemical emissions from the refinery are 'alarming' and 'continuous'.
A 'Life and Death Battle' to Save the Mountain
Dongria Kondh leader Kumti Majhi expressed shock at the recent decision by India's high courts, reports ActionAid.
We did not get any notice of this clearance. It has happened in a very underhand way, said Majhi. We cannot live without our god mountain and the forest and we will continue our peaceful struggle. It is a life and death battle and Kondh people are united on this.
Earlier this year, roughly ten thousand members of the Dongria Kondh community and their allies marched against Vedanta in India.
Over the years, the Dongria and other Kondh tribes have campaigned against Vedanta, mounting large-scale protests and building blockades to keep construction vehicles off the mountain, says Survival.
Propaganda by Vedanta
Survival recently launched an expose entitled Behind the Lies to counteract a sustained public relations offensive by Vedanta against the Dongria Kondh's efforts to save their sacred land.
Vedanta propaganda, spread in the local media, makes claims that tribalpeople have 'demanded that their land should be taken' by Vedanta andthat mining will improve the quality of the rivers and forests, according to Survival. Much of this material has been manipulative; some has been completely untrue.
Concludes Survival Director Stephen Corry: Vedanta may have funded some projects for those about to be destroyed by their mine, but that doesn't buy the company a license to violate human rights.
Economic Activities Should Not Violate Indigenous Rights
Economic development activities, whether government infrastructure projects or mineral extraction by corporations, must not infringe on the rights of indigenous peoples, said Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, chairperson of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, as she briefed the body Wednesday, reports the UN News Center.
Free, prior, and informed consent should be obtained before development projects proceed on indigenous territories, continued Tauli-Corpuz, citing the 2007 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, a document that outlines the human rights of the estimated 370 million indigenous people worldwide. Emphasis was also placed on preventing development projects from interfering wi
Copper mines lease for HCL

AMIT GUPTA
Ranchi, May 31: The sleepy towns of Ghatshila and Mosabani in East Singhbhum will soon be abuzz with industrial activities. The state has decided to lease out two copper mines — Rakha and Kendadih — in favour of Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL), triggering speculation of the public sector undertaking’s speedy revival.
For Rakha, mining operations will be renewed till 2025, while, for Kendadih, it will be till 2013. The mines department’s decision is now awaiting a seal of approval from the governor.
The Rakha and Kendadih mines, whose leases were held by HCL, had stopped operations in 2001 and 2000, respectively. About 450 permanent employees/labourers of Kendadih were offered voluntary retirement. While some took VRS, the others got transferred to HCL units in other states.
Over 700 employees/ labourers at Rakha mines followed the suit in 2001. The public sector undertaking (PSU) “surrendered” the leases in 2004 with global prices of copper witnessing a southward trend. Later, however, it withdrew its surrender petition.
This year, quite a few applications from the likes of Jindal, Essar and Meera Exploration were received for control over mining activities in the region, popularly known as Singhbhum copper belt and known for its vast deposits of copper, uranium and gold. However, HCL bagged the lease.
Talking to The Telegraph, deputy director of the state mines department R.N. Prasad said that they had decided to grant the mining leases to HCL because it was a PSU and “there had been a request from the Centre”.
A senior HCL official, requesting anonymity, said the renewing of leases for Rakha and Kendadih would act as a catalyst in reviving the PSU. “The HCL began incurring losses from the late Nineties. But for the past three financial years, the company has been earning profits. Once we get these mines, production will soar,” he said.
At present, the PSU enjoys mining right over 388 hectares in Surda in the Ghatshila sub-division, where it has employed Monarch Gold of Australia for mining activities. The Maubhandar unit of HCL produces copper cathodes and byproducts, including sulphuric acid, gold, silver among others.
Surda employs about 1,000-1,200 people and has a production capacity of 1,100 tonnes per day. The capacity of the Maubhandar plant has also increased from 16,500 tonnes per annum to 21,000 tonnes per annum.
East Singhbhum district mining officer Ratnesh Kumar Sinha said HCL would enjoy mining rights over Surda till 2014.


http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090601/jsp/jharkhand/story_11046460.jsp

‘More need to benefit from mining’
________________________________________



2009/06/01
THE current recession should offer the country an opportunity for sombre reflection on the need to do the right things, President Jacob Zuma said .
“We are required to do more in a climate unfavourable to us; a difficult economic climate not of our own choosing.
“(This is) a cause for sombre reflection on the need to do the right things to get our country back on track,” Zuma said at a National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) gala dinner at Midrand, Johannesburg.
He said central to this was the spending of well over R700billion allocated for infrastructural projects in the next decade.
“We are going to use a task team made up of labour, government and business to forge a partnership that will make this country withstand the current global economic turmoil, as we did during the so- called emerging markets crisis in 1998.”
On transformation, Zuma said the mining sector should set a shining example of transformation in South Africa.
“It is clear that this fourth democratic government will have to build on the work of the previous administrations to soldier on with the transformation of the mining industry.”
He said government would work with key stakeholders, such as the NUM, to ensure that people benefited from the exploitation of mineral resources.
Although Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment had taken place in the mining sector, the “sad reality” was that only a few had embraced its spirit.
“We have to do everything in our power to ensure than millions of our people benefit from mining transactions.”
He said one the biggest challenges which had been highlighted during the party’s election campaign had been the role of communities in mining activities, mostly in Limpopo and the North West.
“It is clear that a significant section of our people feel that despite progressive legislation, the mining industry and government are not doing enough to ensure that they, too, fully reap the benefits of the mining activities that are taking place.”
Meanwhile, there was a need to “vigorously support and entrench” a culture of zero harm in mining.
“The safety record of our mines has become a central issue that will be placed under the scrutiny of government.
“This current situation cannot be tolerated any more.”
He said all stakeholders should work even harder to put an end to the escalating number of mine deaths.
A total of 68 miners had died since the beginning of the year, while 71 died during the same period last year.
“This is not a good picture at all,” said Zuma. — Sapa

http://www.dispatch.co.za/article.aspx?id=319648


30 killed in China coal mine blast

31 May 2009, 1751 hrs IST, PTI
Print Email Share Save Comment Text:
BEIJING: At least 30 people were killed and 101 miners rescued after an illegal mining practice triggered an explosion that ripped through a coal
mine in south-western China, officials said.

Thirty miners were killed when colliery gas burst in Tonghua coal mine in Qijiang County in Chongqing municipality on Saturday, when 131 miners were working underground.

101 miners were rescued, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Of the rescued, 59 miners were injured, including four in serious condition, it said.

"The accident is caused by an illegal practice which violated the mining rules," said Luo Lin, chief of the State Administration of Work Safety said.

Luo said the Cabinet will set up a special investigation team to probe the coal mine explosion.

Zhao Tiechui, head of the State Administration of Coal Mine Safety, said that an excessive amount of explosives directly triggered the accident.

"The mine's managers didn't evacuate workers in time," said Zhao. Police have detained three people including the coal mine's owner, chief engineer and project manager in connection with the accident.

China's coal mines are considered the world's most dangerous. Official figures showed that over 3,200 miners died last year but the actual figures are much more than that as many such accidents are covered up.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/30-killed-in-China-coal-mine-blast/articleshow/4600656.cms


Mining investments in Mozambique skyrocketing

Monday, 01 Jun 2009
Mining Weekly cited Mr Esperança Bias Mozambique’s Natural Resources Minister as saying that mining investment in Mozambique increased by nearly eight times between 2004 and 2008.

Mr Esperança Bias said that the amount of direct investments in mining rocketed from USD 101 million in 2004 to USD 804 million last year while the value of mining production rose by a similar proportion from USD 35.2 million to USD 275 million.

By way of illustration, Bias cited Kenmare Resources’ USD 460 million titanium mine at Moma in the north of the country. The mine is employing 1 582 people during its construction phase and will create 450 permanent jobs. The government has already collected USD 380 000 in taxes from this project.

Meanwhile, Mozambique has granted a mining concession licence to Australian company Riversdale Mining for the USD 800 million Benga coal project in the north-east of the country. The mining contract was signed by Bias, in Tete, in mid-May. Benga which will produce both thermal coal and hard coking coal is 65% owned by Riversdale and 35% by major Indian steelmaker TATA Steel.

With the signing of the contract, all that remains before the effective start of the project is the completion of the feasibility study. The company extended the deadline for completion of the study so that it would be able to incorporate the financial arrangements established in the mining contract. Riversdale expects to start production in the last quarter of next year.

In April, the company was able to unveil its latest reserve and resource estimates for Benga, which showed an increase of 90% over the previous estimates, announced last September. Benga now has proved coal reserves of 181,3 million tonne, probable coal reserves of 92 million tonnes and 1 033,9 million tonnes of measured and indicated resources, of which 893,4 million tonne lies at a depth of less than 500 m. The total Benga coal resource is now estimated at four billion tons.

The company plans to initially produce 5.3 million tons of coal a year rising to 10 million tonnes annually and finally reaching 20 million tonnes yearly, once the necessary transport infrastructure is established.

Riversdale holds other coal exploration concessions in the Tete province, adjacent to mining giant Companhia Vale do Rio Doce’s Moatize concession. The Australian company’s exploration concessions in Mozambique now exceed 250 000 hectare.

(Sourced from Mining Weekly)
http://steelguru.com/news/index/2009/06/01/OTY2MjE%3D/Mining_investments_in_Mozambique_skyrocketing.html

Greens miffed at Obama's mining moves

WASHINGTON, May 31 (UPI) -- Environmentalists say they are alarmed at the large percentage of mountaintop-removal coal projects approved by the Obama administration.
The Environmental Protection Agency has given its approval to 42 of the 48 proposed mining projects it has reviewed this year, including two dozen involving the controversial practice of blasting away the tops of mountains to get to coal deposits, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The EPA's blessing passes the projects on to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is expected to grant final approval.
"It is disturbing and surprising that this administration, headed by a president who has expressed concern about mountaintop removal, would let such a large number of permits to go forward without explanation," said Joan Mulhern, a lawyer for Earthjustice, a legal organization that has challenged mountaintop removal projects.
The Times said the seeming lack of aggressive steps to curb mountaintop removal are a reflection of the White House's reluctance to restrict coal production and increase unemployment in areas of the Appalachians that are union and Democratic strongholds. The newspaper also noted Obama had pledged during his campaign that he would review mountaintop-removal mining but did not make any promises to ban it.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/05/31/Greens-miffed-at-Obamas-mining-moves/UPI-23831243795124/

Mining ‘guru’ killed in Diepsloot

THE chief executive of the SA Diamond Regulator, Louis Selekane, was killed in a road accident in Diepsloot, near Johannesburg, on Saturday.
Selekane was driving his Audi when he was hit by a BMW.
Netcare 911 spokesman Mark Stokoe said: “The impact was serious and the Audi wound up in the veld.”
One passenger in the BMW was seriously injured, while another passenger and the driver were slightly injured. The minerals and energy department said the country had lost a “guru” in mining.
“Minister [Susan] Shabangu has expressed her condolences,” said spokesman Bheki Khumalo.
“This death has robbed South Africa of a guru [of] precious metals and diamonds.”
Selekane was previously chief executive of the SA Diamond Board.
http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=1010180

Mining firm’s reforest program gaining support from LGUs, residents Science

SUNDAY, 31 MAY 2009 20:00
GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Efforts by a minerals development company to help conserve the environment has been drawing support and participation from local government units (LGUs) and residents in the company’s project area.

Committed to a role as steward of the environment, Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) has been supporting reforestation programs involving communities and project stakeholders, SMI communications manager John Arnaldo said.

The company launched in 2005 a five-year reforestation program that will plant trees in more than 1,000 hectares of open and denuded forestlands, including watersheds and river banks.

Arnaldo said the SMI reforestation program aims to plant 50,000 seedlings of quality endemic and high-value fruit trees annually in areas identified by the local communities.

“It is not just mere planting of seedlings. What were planted are being monitored on a regular basis to ensure that survival rates are met,” he said.

Since 2005 more than 200,000 seedlings have been planted in areas surrounding the Tampakan project, he added.

The planting were done in close collaboration with host barangay and municipal governments, nongovernment organization, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources , schools and universities, religious organizations and residents, he said.

In 2008 more than 750 volunteers and 17 community groups participated to meet the 50,000 annual target.

By end of 2008, SMI has prepared its nursery to provide another 50,000 seedlings for this year’s reforestation program.

Just recently, the Local Council of Women (LCW) of Columbio town, Sultan Kudarat, has cited the efforts of SMI in supporting their efforts on environmental conservation,

Council chairman Cherry Bermudez expressed her appreciation of the support extended by SMI in a recent tree-planting activity of the LCW and the local government of Columbio through the Municipal Environment Natural Resource Office.

Bermudez said their group, being a self-sustaining municipal organization of women, cannot by itself emphasize its role in community building without its partnership with the government and the private sector, like SMI.

The activity mainly showed the vitality of the private and public sectors’ partnership in social and environmental activities.

“With this, we are able to eliminate the negative impressions toward minerals development,” she said.

More than 300 women and youth volunteers from the 16 villages of Columbio planted about 420 seedlings of perennial and fruit-bearing trees in barangay Maligaya in Columbio, a watershed area which was identified by the Community-Based Environment Monitoring Program (CBEMP) of Columbio as the primary source of water in the local communities.

CBEMP is a multisectoral group composed of representatives from the community-based organizations and the LGU of Columbio, SMI and host communities that monitors environmental impacts of development activities in the municipality.

“We hope that by supporting tree-planting activities, we help raise public awareness and promote a multistakeholder collaboration in forest restoration in the communities,” said Lauro Domondon of SMI’s Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Team.

The positive impact of the reforestation program and the expectation of communities toward environmental management in general, has seen similar reforestation programs develop throughout the Philippines.

SMI provides regular support to a number of these programs outside of the project area by providing seedling stocks to the national Plant a Tree Movement, an organization of volunteers tasked with the “greening” of the Philippines.

In the past three years, SMI’s strong social and environmental culture has been recognized as an industry benchmark by the Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association, winning several awards including the Best Mining Forest Program-Exploration Category in 2008, runner-up in the Mining Forest Program-Exploration Category in 2007 and Best Mining Forest Program-Exploration Category in 2006.

Arnaldo said SMI recognizes that its reforestation program is more than just good environmental management.

It is an opportunity and ability to work in close partnership with its stakeholders and neighbors by providing capacity development, economic growth and a sustainable environment.

The Tampakan project is approximately 65 kilometers north of General Santos City in Mindanao. The project borders three provinces—South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Davao del Sur.

The Tampakan copper-gold deposit is in the province of South Cotabato, municipality of Tampakan.

The Tampakan deposit represents one of the largest undeveloped copper-gold deposits in Southeast Asia. The latest mineral resource estimate confirmed 2.2 billion tons, containing 12.8 million tons of copper and 15.2 million ounces of gold at a 0.3 percent copper cut-off grade.

On March 30, 2007, Xstrata Copper acquired 62.5 percent of the controlling interest in the Tampakan Project and assumed management control through its Philippines-based affiliate Sagittarius Mines Inc.

ORMOC CITY, Leyte—The Philippines hopes to have a genetically modified (GM) kamote (sweet potato) in the next five years.
Scientists from the Visayas State University (VSU) and the University of the Philippines Los Baños, Institute of Plant Breeding (UPLB-IPB) are now working on the development of virus-resistant sweet potato (VRSP) through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation.
Sweet potato is a popular cash crop abundantly planted in more than 120,500 hectares in the Philippines. Of 15 known sweet-potato viruses worldwide, eight of these can be found in the country.
The most widely spread and important among these, is the sweet potato feathery mottle virus (SPFMV), which is associated with leaf curl, a disease known as “Kamote Kulot” in Luzon.
“The virus-disease complex has been reported to reduce the yield of sweet potato by 40 percent to 60 percent in Leyte and 85 percent to 98 percent in Albay,” says Dr. Manuel Palomar, vice president and VRSP project leader of VSU.
Dr. Palomar said VRSP sweet potato can be developed through the transfer of coat protein gene of the SPFMV into local varieties of sweet potato through a phenomenon called “cross-protection.”
“Currently, we already have our gene of construct for the VRSP, and it is being validated. The transformation and tissue-culture components are under optimization and hopefully, we expect to have the field trials of the VRSP by 2011,” shares Lolita Dolores, a virologist and project leader from UPLB-IPB, at the recent Training-Workshop on Risk Assessment and Social Marketing of Public-Sector Biotech Product held at Sabin Resort Hotel, Ormoc City, Leyte.
The workshop was organized by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture through Biotechnology Information Center, Department of Science and Technology- Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCARRD), Program for Biosafety Systems Southeast Asia and the VSU as part of the capacity-building initiatives for the scientists and regulators in the region.
The VRSP project is being supported by the DOST-PCARRD and ISAAA Southeast Asia.

http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/science/11045-filipino-scientists-developing-virus-resistant-kamote.html

LET'S BE VERY CAREFUL WITH LIMESTONE MINING

Sunday, May 31, 2009
The near collapse of the bauxite/alumina industry, a cornerstone of the Jamaican economy, means the Government has a responsibility to seek to fill the vacuum - if only partially.
Over a period of decades, successive Jamaican governments have become dependent on revenues from bauxite/alumina. Just as importantly, thousands of people, directly and indirectly, have come to virtually take for granted the benefits of relatively high-paid jobs in the industry.
Hence the sense of siege and gloom which now prevails in bauxite-mining and alumina-processing communities and indeed right across the country, following the recent closure of three plants.
Against that backdrop, plans by the Government to expand the limestone mining sector, as part of the drive to make up for the bauxite/alumina fallout, are perfectly logical.
We note the enthusiasm for limestone mining being exhibited by minister of mining and energy, Mr James Robertson, and state minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Mr Michael Stern.
"We don't realise we have a large deposit of limestone, we have an almost endless supply," gushes Mr Stern.
In like manner, Mr Robertson tells us that Jamaica has "at least 60 times more" limestone than bauxite reserves and that "very large quantities of this (limestone) reserve are 'mineable' and are of exceptionally good quality".
We hear of ready markets and substantial revenues for Jamaican limestone.
But like environmentalists Ms Wendy Lee and Ms Diana McCaulay, this newspaper feels the need to advise extreme caution.
To begin with, we are alarmed by the potential for 'uglification' of the Jamaican landscape. Anyone who has ever approached the Norman Manley Airport by aircraft and experienced the jarring sight of limestone mines standing out against the lush green hillsides, like so many white, open sores, should understand what we are trying to say.
We should be forgiven if, given the experience up to now of bauxite and limestone mining, we are not convinced by the assurances from Mr Robertson that a proper "balance" will be maintained.
We would strongly urge that before any large-scale expansion of limestone mining all necessary steps should be taken to determine the environmental consequences.
'Uglification' of the Jamaican landscape apart, we need to be sure of what an expanded limestone mining sector will mean for Jamaica's eco-systems; for water quality, etc. We await the considered, scientific and unemotional positions of our geological and environmental experts.
Crucially, what will it all mean for the life-giving tourism industry? No doubt our tourism leaders - not least the energetic minister Mr Edmund Bartlett - will have their say.
Bottom line: We should look very, very, very carefully before we leap.

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/editorial/html/20090530T200000-0500_152534_OBS_LET_S_BE_VERY_CAREFUL_WITH_LIMESTONE_MINING_.asp

Other News

Ex-minister warns of water crisis
OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
Bhubaneswar, May 31: Orissa will face an acute water crisis by 2021, former state finance minister Panchanan Kanungo has warned in a seminar held recently.
Focusing on the state scenario, Kanungo said Orissa, with 4 per cent of the country’s population and 11 per cent of the country’s annual rainfall, was still well off in terms of water availability — but, only for a little while.
The state receives an average 1,452mm rainfall during the monsoon. But it is distributed unevenly, resulting in recurring droughts and floods, he explained.
As 78 per cent total surface water is available during the monsoon, only 22 per cent is available during the remaining period in the year, said Kanungo, while addressing a seminar on watershed development.
Quoting an official estimate, the former state finance minister said 32 billion cubic metres of water would be needed for industrial use by 2021. The water requirement for irrigation would be around 66 billion cubic metres.
Taking the requirement for drinking water into account, the total requirement would be around 120 billion cubic metres, he said.
“The total demand will exceed the estimated water availability of 90 billion cubic metres, resulting in acute scarcity of water by 2021,” said Kanungo.
He attributed the widening demand-supply gap to various factors: growing population, rapid industrialisation, expansion of urban areas, deforestation, mining, water mismanagement, climatic change, heat wave leading to speedy evaporation of water and fall in ground water levels.
“We are going to face a critical situation unless we have an integrated management plan,” he warned.
Apart from an integrated plan, Kanungo, who heads the Institute of Public Finance and Policy, suggested renovation of water bodies, activation of all natural drainage channels, recharge of rain water and recycling of waste water, roof-top water harvesting in urban areas and storage of flood water as the remedy for the impending water crisis.
He recalled that a drainage master plan at an estimated cost of Rs 480 crore and another plan for flood control were prepared in 2002. But, the plans were shelved. “Had the plans been implemented, it would have helped in resolving the crisis,” Kanungo said.



http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090601/jsp/nation/story_11041666.jsp

Agriculture should be vital part of climate change meet: Experts

Mumbai, May 31: Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) through carbon sequestration, soil and land use management, and biomass production through improved and informedagricultural practices have to be emphasised at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change which begins tomorrow at Bonn, experts said.

Agriculture and climate change are inextricably linked and agriculture is part of the climate change problem, contributing about 13.5 percent of annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (with forestry contributing an additional 19 percent), compared with 13.1 per cent from transportation.

Agriculture is, however, also part of the solution, offering promising opportunities for mitigating GHG emissions through carbon sequestration, soil and land use management, and biomass production, experts participating on a teleconference from Washington told media across the globe last week.

They were happy that the UN climate change conference at last agreed to take agriculture as part of their agenda in the forthcoming meeting at Copenhagen (COP15), and said that it was time push the relevant issues related to pro-growth, pro-poor in the negotiations.

Climate change threatens agricultural production through higher and more variable temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, and increased occurrences of extreme events such as droughts and floods.

If agriculture is not included in the international climate change negotiations leading up to the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Copenhagen in December 2009, resulting climate change policies could threaten poor farming communities and smallholders in many developing countries, experts said.

The policies could also impede the ability of smallholders to partake in new economic opportunities that might arise from the negotiations, experts said.

The experts said that funding mechanisms should be allowed that recognise the connection between pro-poor development policies for sustainable growth and sound climate change policies.

Therefore, agriculture must be on the Copenhagen agenda. Indeed, it must be on the agenda of negotiators well before COP15 during the meeting during the next 12 days and essentially, three avenues must be pursued, investments - there must be explicit inclusion of agriculture-related investments, especially as part of a Global Climate Change Fund.

Incentives - there must be a deliberate focus on introducing incentives to reduceemissions and support technological change and information - there must be a solid commitment to establishing comprehensive information and monitoring services in soil and land use management for verification purposes, they added.

Bureau Report

http://www.zeenews.com/news535738.html

Ramesh against dilution of environment clearance process
1 Jun 2009, 0128 hrs IST, Nitin Sethi, TNN

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NEW DELHI: Rejecting the secret finance ministry report recommending dilution of environmental clearance process and calling it insensitive to

ecologicalconcerns, environment minister Jairam Ramesh told TOI that he was not in favour of tinkering with existing norms but would bring in transparency in the process.

TOI had earlier reported on the department of economic affairs (DEA) report, which had industry lobbies as members but not the environment ministry, demanding that the Environment Impact Assessment process be diluted, franchised out to other agencies and be made "industry friendly".

With even Ramesh, seen as a pro-liberalisation and pro-deregulation minister with previous stints in the commerce and power ministries, finding the DEA report too "pro-industry", the tussle over its implementation could turn into a hard-fought battle.

Reacting to the report, Ramesh told TOI, "It is not the last word (on the issue). It is very insensitive to environmental concerns. It seems written by those wedded to the growth mantra that see environmental concerns as hurdles. I have several questions on the report. I shall be holding consultations on it."

He pointed out that the environment clearance process had a very low rejection rate and almost all projects were cleared, even if with some delay. "I would instead be happy to see a higher rejection rate," he said.

"I feel we need to review the regulations to see that there is better compliance and monitoring. At the same time, the timeframes stipulated in the laws must be followed. And if more time is required, then we should make the reasons public," he added.

Officials have already been instructed by the new minister to put the status of each application and reasons for delay on the ministry website by June 30.

Allaying all apprehension that a relook at the rules may lead to regressive amendments, Ramesh said, "My overriding priority is to strengthen ecological security while facilitating environment friendly economic growth and not to promote growth that flouts all environmental regulations and standards."

Ramesh, returning fire against states and industry that have pleaded against strict environment rules, said he had, in his previous avatar as power minister, found private companies flouting environmental regulations merrily and it needed to be checked.

The new minister, who has set tight deadlines for all programmes, has also asked his officials to look at creating an autonomous watchdog to monitor and regulate industry after the clearance process.

But he would now have to deal with the DAE report, which is currently sitting with a high-powered group headed by secretary, Planning Commission, for implementation where the environment ministry too has found representation.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Ramesh-against-dilution-of-environment-clearance-process/articleshow/4600983.cms
Ramesh keen to unlock afforestation fund
1 Jun 2009, 0052 hrs IST, Nitin Sethi, TNN

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NEW DELHI: The environment ministry may finally be able to unlock the Rs 9,760 crore fund lying unutilised for afforestation with the environment

minister committing that the once-rejected Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill will be revamped and reintroduced in Parliament by the end of the budgetary session.

In an interview to TOI, setting the agenda for the ministry, Ramesh said, "The bill will be finalised by June 6."

He added, "I was shocked to find Rs 9,760 crore collected and sitting somewhere in GOI with everyone eyeing it. But getting this (fund operational) is a priority. The primary charge on it is for compensatory afforestation and we shall use it to regreen degraded areas.,"

The fund, created by the Supreme Court on the recommendation of its Centrally Empowered Committee on forest issues, by collecting a charge from project developers diverting forest land, has remained a bone of contention between the court committee, the states and the Centre for years.

Ramesh said he would also be seeking enhanced financial allocations to help achieve the 33% forest cover target in 10 years.

Asked about the longstanding proposal to give forest lands over to industry, he said, "I am not here to facilitate industry's access to forests, that is not my brief or objective."

Hoping to bring the same energy into the environment ministry that he had tried to infuse in the power ministry, Ramesh said, "Indira Gandhi had said `poverty is the biggest cause of pollution' and Rajiv Gandhi had made prominent mention of afforestation and cleaning Ganga long back in his first speech as PM. Now, it's time to achieve it."

Before moving on to other issues, he also referred to strengthening the NationalBiodiversity Authority, making it capable of deciding "where to ensure sustainable use of biodiversity with maximum benefit sharing and where to go for simple protection regimes".

Warning that the country needed to spend the next five years focusing onecological security rather than just economic security, Ramesh said, "It is important that the eight missions (under the national Action Plan on Climate Change) take off and we demonstrate to the world that we are doing this for our own needs and not because of any international pressure."

Keeping with his theme of finding balance between growth and environment, he said the best bet in the short term to move on a cleaner pathway was to back clean coal technologies -- as coal will continue to be the base load for the country's growing needs -- and improve the efficiency in the power sector. The role of nuclear, hydroelectric and renewables has to be enhanced, he added.

Explaining why in some international quarters China was been seen differently from India on the climate front, he said, "The Chinese have invested heavily in getting their act together and are seen to be doing a lot of things. We must also demonstrate our ability to improve along with a commitment to growth."


http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Ramesh-keen-to-unlock-afforestation-fund/articleshow/4601215.cms

Use rural development funds fully, says Agatha

Special Correspondent
— Photo: PTI

Minister of State for Rural Development Agatha Sangma.
GUWAHATI: Minister of State for Rural Development Agatha K. Sangma on Sunday called for increasing the capacity of north-eastern States to absorb the funds allocated to them by the Centre.
Ms. Sangma said that though the Centre was allocating adequate funds, these States had failed to spend them fully. She also urged the State governments to ensure effective and transparent implementation of rural development schemes.
At her maiden press conference here before leaving for New Delhi, Ms. Sangma said she would soon convene a meeting of north-eastern States to assess the implementation of rural development schemes, find out the difficulties being faced by the States and formulate plans.
She also called for skill development of the youth so that they could get gainful employment.
http://www.hindu.com/2009/06/01/stories/2009060153601000.htm