https://www.bworldonline.com/the-mining-industry-can-save-the-economy/
December 13, 2020 | 7:04 pm
Numbers Don’t Lie
By Andrew J. Masigan
...Open pit mining has been made a political issue given its supposed damage to the environment. But open pit mining, also known as open-cast mining, is an accepted global practice in the extraction of ores that lay near the surface. It is used when the mine is structurally unsuitable for tunneling. The US has over 1,800 open pit mines in operation, all of which are proven safe, efficient, and cost-effective. There are only two open pit mines in the Philippines and both have been declared safe and environmentally sound. It’s all a matter of doing it according to sustainable protocols.
When retired, open pit mines can be rehabilitated into agro-forestry or agricultural purposes. A good example is Philex Mine’s Sibutad project. After its closure, the mine was transformed into a rainforest where new trees are planted at a rate of some 18.5 hectares per day. It holds the distinction of being the largest industrial tree-planting operation in the country’s history......