ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM
Tailings Storage and Facility 5A (TSF 5A)
TSF 5A is one of the seven best-designed tailings dams in the world. It is maintained and operated to withstand a 600-year flood event, six times the government standard. It has a free-board of 13 meters, four times the government standard. TSF 5A is audited every year by international geo-technical consultants, the latest of which is URS of Australia, always with favorable findings.
Effluent Management
The effluent of TSF 5A is monitored daily for compliance with the Philippine Clean Water Act (RA No. 9275) and its implementing rules. The Environmental Management Bureau has certified that, as determined by a third party DENR-accredited laboratory based on samples taken quarterly by the Multipartite Monitoring Team, the Company has been compliant with the general effluent standards set forth under DENR Administrative Order 35, Series of 1990.
Reforestation
Lepanto started its reforestation program decades ago. It has planted over 6,500,000 trees over an area of 800 hectares. In 1999, for planting 1.2 million trees, LCMC earned 1st Prize in DENR's Adopt a Tree, Adopt a Mining Forest program. Students are asked to plan trees periodically. Every milestone or important occasion in Lepanto is marked by tree-planting. In addition to the millions already planted, Lepanto donates tens of thousands of seedlings every year to the neighboring towns to support their own greening programs.
Just recently, our in-house ecowarriors just finished planting 1,000 Benguet Pine trees along Tailings Ponds 3 and 4 areas in Barangay Paco. This is the third leg of our weekly tree planting activity that commenced last May 6, as part of our Environmental Protection and Enhancement Program.
Domestic Solid Waste Management
LCMC management strictly implements waste segregation policy both in its corporate office and mine site. Color coded trans bins were stationed in strategic areas; green for biodegradable wastes, brown for recyclable wastes, black for residual wastes and yellow for hazardous wastes.
Construction of the 850 square meter Engineered Sanitary Landfill (ESL) has been completed pursuant to RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. The landfill has a waste handling capacity of 2 metric tons per day and has an estimated lifespan of five years.
Hazardous Waste Management
All generated toxic and hazardous wastes are properly stored at the designated storage facilities prior to transport to treatment at a DENR-accredited facility. Discharge permits for the Oil Water Separator (OWS) system within the working areas of the mine were renewed.
Lepanto turned over assorted used-batteries to the Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc. of ABS-CBN for the latter's Bantay Baterya Project.
Air Quality Management
Semi-annual monitoring of ambient air quality at four established sampling points continued as recommended by the Mines Rehabilitation Fund Committee. Stack emission testing by a third party service provider was completed. Results showed compliance with standards.