STILL ON BLACK SAND MINING

LINGAYEN—The last man standing against the reported black sand mining in this coastal area is now asking help of President Aquino to direct the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to confiscate the mound of black sand in Barangay Malimpuec here.

In his letter dated March 7 to the President, Rolando Rea also asked 1) the DENR to bid out the black sand and the proceeds be used for development projects in the affected barangays; 2) that the heavy equipment (backhoes, trailers and trucks) used to quarry and haul the black sand materials be confiscated; 3) for the demolition of the six-foot tall, three-kilometer-stretch concrete wall built along the coastal area, and 4) that the EEC issued for the golf course be cancelled being the fourth most environmentally critical projects and must not be established in an environmentally critical area like the Lingayen Gulf.

Rea wrote too that around five hectares have been quarried creating deep pits in the coastal area fo4 which DENR issued an ECC for an 18-hole golf course on January 2, 2013.

“Until now or two years after the issuance of the ECC, the provincial government has not yet started any golf course development activities,” Rea said.

The provincial government had announced the suspension of the development of the golf course in the light of the complaint filed alleging black sand mining. It also pointed out that the extraction of the black sand was necessary to enable grass to grow on the golf course.

Provincial Information Officer Orpheus Velasco was sought for comments on Rea’s letter to the President but no statement reached The PUNCH before deadline. (Tita Roces)

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