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ILOILO City – No new sand and gravel quarry permits in the province’ five major river systems will be issued.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. yesterday ordered a temporary suspension or moratorium on the issuance of quarry permits.
“The unabated extraction of sand and gravel along these river systems have resulted to the damage and deterioration of the structural integrity of bridges, irrigation dams, and other public and private infrastructures as reported by the monitoring team of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) VI…,” part of the governor’s Executive Order (EO) 227 read.
The river systems referred to in the executive order were Aganan, Jalaur, Sibalom, Suage, and Ulian.
The Regional Project Monitoring Committee (RPMC) and Infrastructure Development Committee (IDC) of the Regional Development Council (RDC) raised alarm over the ill-effects of excessive quarrying on rivers to existing public infrastructures such as bridges and dams.
Defensor also signed EO 226 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 (ECC) issued by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), 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 Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (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. (Capitol News/PN)
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