Environment

Soná government wants mining projects stopped

VÍCTOR AROSEMANA/LA PRENSA

Stripped: The Soná government wants a ban on mining operations, such as the one pictured above, in its region. The move is supported by environmental groups.960819

Panama might be going through a real estate boom, but some businesses are interested in what's under the ground, rather than what can be built on top of it.

There are 176 pending applications to explore sites for minerals such as gold, silver and copper, according to the Dirección Nacional de Recursos Minerales.

The government has already approved 21 permits to explore for minerals and granted six mining permits. But this has raised the ire of environmentalists, who say the expansion of mining projects will cause numerous problems, such as the contamination of ground water.

They are finding a lot of support among local residents and regional politicians, who are now acting independently of the national government to stop such projects.

In the district of Soná, in the province of Veraguas, municipal authorities recently passed a resolution prohibiting mining. This action, local leaders say, trumps any permission granted by national authorities.

Soná officials say that mining would ruin the area's ability to attract tourists, which they think is a much more viable and environmentally-friendly industry than mining.

This act jeopardizes 10 planned projects, including an operation by the Canadian company Oro Gold, which has identified five other sites for possible development within the country. According to the company's web site, the Soná parcel is about 7,500 hectares.

But that will never happen if the local politicians have their way. In addition to their resolution, they are now asking the Asamblea Nacional to draft a law to ban mining in their area.

The Ministerio de Comercio e Industrias has said it will respect the local decision and stressed that final approval for the project has not been granted.

Ana Méndez, a geologist for Oro Gold, said that the work that has taken place in Soná has all been approved by the government, and company officials have not yet decided whether or not to move into the second phase of exploration to make a final determination about whether or not opening a mine would be economically feasible.

She also stressed that the company never uses chemicals or any processes that would endanger the environment in the initial explorations.

La Asociación Nacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (Ancon) has supported the decision to ban mining in Soná.

"No matter where this activity takes place, there are many risks. One need only look at what is happening in mining projects in Chile and Peru...where water has been polluted, affecting populations downstream," said Ancon's Aida Spadafora.

Ancon is one of nine environmental groups that have asked for a moratorium on mining projects. They say the action is needed so that the government has time to properly study the environmental impacts of these project and make informed decisions.