MANKAYAN, Benguet—Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co., one of the oldest mining companies in the country, has pioneered the operation of an engineered sanitary landfill in the Philippine mining industry.
The ESL, constructed in an area near Lepanto’s mill site is designed to contain residual wastes from households within the mining community and nearby barangays in Mankayan, Benguet.
Lepanto started utilizing the ESL since January of this year, according to Mine Environment Protection and Enhancement Department manager Rolando Reyes.
Reyes said that the ESL construction cost Lepanto over P4 million with the main ESL component fast-tracked and completed in less than two months utilizing 30 locally hired workers while the other components, i.e., the material recovery facility and the project site office, will be completed by June 2017.
The two-meter wide concrete base of the ESL can withstand strong typhoons with its slope planted with tiger grass and sunflowers and further stabilized by coco-fiber.
The ESL site is covered with a high-density polyethylene liner, ensuring that liquid waste is filtered towards the leachate tank where it is bio-remediated or detoxified using naturally-occurring organisms prior to discharge.
Baguio journalists who toured the ESL site noted that it was odor-free.
Reyes said the ESL has a life of four years but this may be expanded to serve the community for another two years.
He added that this early, Lepanto is already negotiating with community residents for a potential new site for the next ESL.
Meanwhile, in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, LCMCO said that, following TUV Rheinland Philippines’ audit of the Environmental Management System of Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co. on March 22-24, 2017, it has been recommended that the ISO 14001 certification of Lepanto dated May 12, 2016 be maintained.”