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BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Monday. September 18, 2017
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ILOILO – Are large-scale quarry operators over-extracting sand and gravel?
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) should inspect them, according to the association of small-scale quarry permittees in the province.
“They should be the priority for inspection. These big quarry operators have 10-wheeler trucks,” said Ric Macalalag, leader of the small-scale quarry permittees.
Citing the unabated extraction of sand and gravel in Iloilo river systems, Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. imposed a moratorium on the issuance of new quarry permits.
According to a monitoring team of the National Economic Development Authority in Region 6, over-quarrying has resulted to the damage and deterioration of the structural integrity of bridges, irrigation dams and other public and private infrastructures near sand and gravel quarry sites.
“May isa di’ ka daku nga kontraktor nga ang permit ‘ya is only 10,000 ang volume pero kon kadtoan ang iya stockpile, I just don’t know kon pila masiling n’yo nga volume,” said Macalalag.
Small-scale quarry operators, on the other hand, comply with what’s stated in their permits, he stressed.
The DENR and the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office may start the inspection with quarry sites in the towns of Janiuay and Dueñas, said Macalalag.
Small-scale quarry operators welcomed the governor’s moratorium on the issuance of new quarry permits, he stressed.
The moratorium covers the province’ five major river systems – Aganan, Jalaur, Sibalom, Suage, and Ulian.
Defensor also signed an executive order regulating the use of backhoes in the extraction of sand and gravel materials in certain areas within the river systems.
“The unsupervised use of backhoe results to uneven extractions and elevations along the river bed, creating deep holes and pools which endanger the lives of people and animals living near or passing through the quarried area,” according to Defensor.
The use of backhoe will only be allowed if it is indicated in the Environmental Compliance Certificate issued by the Environmental Management Bureau, he stressed.
Another exemption is, if the material available in the quarry area is composed of at least 60 percent gravel as determined by the PENRO.
Further, only backhoes with maximum bucket size of not more than one cubic meter shall be allowed to operate in the approved permit areas./PN
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