A catastrophic environmental and industrial accident occurred at the Marcopper mine on Marinduque island, causing significant ecological damage and potential long-term environmental consequences.
"Showgirls" wins the16th Golden Raspberry Awards:
In 30 years of mining under Placer Dome's management, Marinduquenos endured one mining-related environmental disaster after another.
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For 16 years, from 1975 to 1991, Placer Dome oversaw the dumping, via surface disposal, of more than 200 million tons of mine tailings directly into the shallow waters of Calancan Bay, covering corals and seagrasses and the bottom of the bay with 80 square kilometers of tailings.
The food security of 12 fishing villages around the bay had been severely impacted for the past 27 years. A large portion of the tailings are exposed in the bay and regularly blow into nearby villages.
The tailings also leach metals into the bay and are suspected to be the cause of lead contamination found in children from villages around the bay.
In 1998, the Philippine Government declared a State of Calamity for health reasons for Calancan Bay villages because of lead contamination. Children from the area have been undergoing detoxification treatments in Manila.
Calancan Bay villagers were never asked for their permission for the dumping and have never been compensated for their losses.
They protested the dumping vehemently for 16 years and continue to demand that the bay be rehabilitated and that they be compensated for their losses.
Placer Dome executives met regularly with Canadian NGOs during the 1980s over this issue but the dumping was not halted until the Tapian Mine was depleted in 1991.
Placer Dome continues to deny damage to the bay and nearby villagers as a result of the tailings.
"Showgirls" wins the16th Golden Raspberry Awards: