Great News For Oceana Gold Investors Philippines environment minister hopeful for end to open-pit mining ban By Manolo Serapio Jr and Enrico Dela Cruz
MANILA, Oct 24 (Reuters) - The Philippines' environment minister said he was hopeful that a ban on open-pit mining would be lifted before the end of the year after a government panel recommended its removal on Tuesday.
Lifting the ban would allow the development of some big-ticket mining projects including the $5.9 billion Tampakan copper and gold mine.
Open-pit mining is allowed under the mining laws of the Southeast Asian country, the world's top nickel ore exporter. However, the former environment minister Regina Lopez banned it during her 10 months in office, saying the environmental degradation ruined the economic potential of places where it was done.
https://www.kitco.com/news/2017-10-24/UPDATE-2-Philippines-environment-minister-hopeful-for-end-to-open-pit-mining-ban.html