Major tailings dam disasters have occurred in the Philippines, often resulting from heavy rains weakening dam infrastructure and releasing toxic mine waste. Some consequences include contaminated waterways, widespread siltation, fish kills, evacuation of communities, and long term health impacts. Notable disasters include the 2007 TVI Pacific Inc. dam collapse in Zambonga del Norte, the 2005 Lafayette Mining dam failure in Albay, and the devastating 1996 Marcopper Mining tailings dam leak in Marinduque that flooded rivers and caused extensive environmental and economic damage.

1. Major tailings
dam
disasters in
the
Philippines
Phili i

2. TVI PACIFIC INC
April 6 and July 11, 2007
April 6 and July 11 2007
Siocon, Zambonga del Norte
Heavy rains washed out the
clay soil and destructed the
concrete wall of the sulphide
dam used for the extraction of
copper and zinc.
copper and zinc
IMPACTS:
Contaminated water, where
Contaminated water where
cyanide and mercury is
detectable, flows to the
Canatuan River down to
Siocon River and towards the
sea. Two days after the
collapse, it has been reported
that siltation has reached up
that siltation has reached up
to 3meters thick.

4. LAFAYETTE POLYMETALLIC
PROJECT (LAFAYETTE MINING LTD)
October 11 and 31 2005
October 11 and 31, 2005
Rapu‐rapu Island, Albay
It rained heavily. Water elevation at
the lower tailings storage facility was
almost full due to continuous rainfall.
almost full due to continuous rainfall
IMPACTS:
In the morning of November 1, 2005,
fishes and other marine organisms
g
were found dead at Ungay and
Hollowstone Creeks As per DENR
investigation report:
1. The effluent Lafayette to meet DENR
1 The effluent Lafayette to meet DENR
Effluent Standards per DENR
Administrative Order 90‐35 for
parameter cyanide; and
2. Samplings conducted on 4 and 5
2 S li d t d 4 d5
Nov. at Hollowstone Creek, Ungay
Creek and Binosawan River failed to
conform to conform to DENR
Administrative Order 90‐35 for
parameter cyanide.
parameter cyanide

5. DIZON COPPER SILVER MINES
INC. (DCSMI) Heavily‐rusted mine facilities at the
August 27 and September 11, Benguet Corporation‐Dizon
Copper/Gold Mines (BCD) in San
2002
2002 Marcelino, Zambales.
San Marcelino, Zambales [Photo courtesy of Tetra Tech EM
Inc.]
The Spillway of Bayarong
tailings dam collapsed during
tailings dam collapsed during
heavy rain;
IMPACTS:
Low lying villages were
flooded with mine waste;
250 families evacuated;
Some tailings spilled
into Mapanuepe Lake
and eventually into the
Sto. Tomas River;
dams heavily damaged
(especially Camalca)
Communities residing
In Dizon mine road.

6. SIPALAY, NEGROS OCCIDENTAL DISASTERS
In November 8, 1982 under
MARICALUM MINING CORP,
a tailings pond causing the
Wid di d i
Widespread inundation of f
agricultural land up to 1.5m
High and the siltation of
the Tao‐angan River
Again in December 8, 1995
Under PHILEX MINING CORP,
Destruction of tailings pond
Caused the siltation of
C d th ilt ti f
Sipalay River.
MARICALUM MINING CORP.
December 2001
Since the ‘temporary’ stoppage of operations no fresh tailings have been discharged, causing tailings pond 3
to dry up and become prone to wind actions
IMPACTS
IMPACTS:
Excessive levels of dust affect area of 5 km; air quality affected; nearby residents report increases in
respiratory illnesses

7. ATLAS CONSOLIDATED
MINING AND
DEVELOPMENT CORP.
DEVELOPMENT CORP.
(ACMDC)
August 9, 1999
Toledo City, Cebu
Outlet in drainage tunnel of
released approximately 5.7 million m3 of acidic
the open pit (from closed water into Sapangdaku and into the open sea
copper mine) was clogged
copper mine) was clogged
resulting in loosening of
accumulated silt, causing
discharge into the
Sapangdaku River towards the
sea
IMPACTS:
IMPACTS
Siltation of Sapangdaku River;
Increase in acidity of affected
water bodies causing fish kill
water bodies causing fish kill

8. PLACER, SURIGAO DEL NORTE DISASTERS
All under MANILA MINING CORP. (MMC)
• July 9, 1987: Dam failure causing fish kills
• September 2, 1995: Dam foundation failure at tailings pond 5 of the Placer copper‐gold
project killing 5 people and coastal pollution
• April 26, 1999: Tailings spill from damaged concrete pipe in tailings pond caused 40 homes to
be buried and 40 hectares of land affected including 20 hectares of agricultural land

9. DISASTERS IN SIBUTAD,
ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE
UNDER PHILEX GOLD
UNDER PHILEX GOLD
PHILIPPINES INC. (PHILEX
MINING CORP.)
Two incidents of heavy rain
Two incidents of heavy rain
resulted in mudflow and
rockslide into silt dam at Lalab
(November 6, 1997) causing
flashfloods damaged nearby
fl hfl d d d b
houses and rice fields and the
overflowing of silt dam at the
Sibutad gold project (in June
g p j (
27, 1998) causing fish kill and
blindness.

10. According to the Save The Abra River
Movement, the siltation and toxic pollution of
M t th ilt ti dt i ll ti f
the rivers deprives communities in Cervantes
of about 7.33 million kg of rice worth US$2.27
million per annum.
p
BENGUET DISASTERS
October 17, 1986, Mankayan, Benguet (Lepanto Consolidated Mining Corporation):
October 17, 1986, Mankayan, Benguet (Lepanto Consolidated Mining Corporation):
Collapse of tailings pond 3 due to weakened dam embankment caused by additional
loading caused the siltation of the Abra River which affected 9 municipalities

11. January 1992, Padcal, Tuba, Benguet (Philex Mining Corp.): Collapse of dam wall at
tailings pond 2 due to weakened foundation caused by the 1990 Northern Luzon
earthquake effected the heavy siltation affected downstream government irrigation system
BENGUET
DISASTERS

12. BENGUET
DISASTERS
June 26, 1993, Mankayan, Benguet (Itogon‐Suyoc Mines Inc): Overtopping at the dam
June 26 1993 Mankayan Benguet (Itogon Suyoc Mines Inc): Overtopping at the dam
of the Itogon‐Suyoc gold and silver mines occurred during a typhoon when the dam’s
penstock and diversion tunnel were blocked caused the siltation of adjoining river

13. MARINDUQUE TRAGEDIES

14. THE WORST MINING DISASTER:
MARINDUQUE EXPERIENCE
MARINDUQUE EXPERIENCE
FillFille

15. December 6, 1993, Marinduque Island
MARCOPPER MINING CORP
The Maguila‐Guila siltation dam collapsed
due to pressure from heavy siltation at
the dam wall and caused the Mogpog
River to be flooded; 2 children killed;
Ri b fl d d 2 hild kill d
livestock killed; agricultural land
contaminated; downstream communities
and Mogpog Town flooded.
and Mogpog Town flooded

16. March 24, 1996, Marinduque Island
MARCOPPER MINING CORP
According to the company the
rock around a cement plug
rock around a cement plug
inserted into the former
Tapian open Pit drainage
tunnel to convert it into a
tunnel to convert it into a
tailings containment was
fractured and the plug failed.
However, the tunnel started
H th t l t t d
leaking in August 1995. In
September 1995
Marcopper/Placer Dome
/ l
started drilling down 160
meters to the tunnel. On 24
March 1996 the drill hit the
tunnel, released an air pocket
holding back tailings and

17. Left: Children and women in Mogpog were found to be with
symptoms of arsenic poisoning. Below: After the amputation
of his right leg, the left leg of a fisher folk in Calancan Bay, is
g g, g y,
also contaminated with arsenic contamination 30 years after
mine wastes were dumped in their bay.
IMPACTS TO PEOPLE’S HEALTH AND LIVELIHOOD AND ECONOMY
© MACEC

18. Fish kills; death of Boac and Mogpog River
•Evacuation of 1200
residents
•26 km of the Makulaquit and
Boac river systems filled
with tailings rendering
them unusable
$80 illi i d
•$80 million in damage
(the real figure is
much higher 3)
•Flash floods isolated 5
•Flash floods isolated 5
Villages
•67,000 m3 of bagged
g
tailings collected and
stacked in tattered sacks
on banks of Boac River
since cleanup began in
summer 2000
IMPACTS TO PEOPLE’S HEALTH AND LIVELIHOOD AND ECONOMY
© MACEC

19. THE WORST MINING DISASTER:
MARINDUQUE EXPERIENCE
MARINDUQUE EXPERIENCE
Bags of mine waste tailings decomposing in
FillFille
the Boac River in March 2004 (Oxfam)

20. WHAT MINERS Acid mine drainage or acid rock drainage, is the
acidic water that drains out of above-ground or
CANNOT SOLVE: under-ground coal and metal mines. It may form
g y
inside the mine or several kilometers downstream.
Acid Mine Drainage
It can occur during mining operations and even
when operations has finished and the site is
abandoned.
It affects stream and river ecosystems by increasing
acidity,
acidity depleting oxygen, and releasing heavy
oxygen
metals, such as aluminum, iron, manganese, and
zinc.

21. “The miner rapes the
The miner rapes the
heart of earth With his
violent spade.”
‐Kath Walke, IP Poet
© Alyansa Tigil Mina

22. THANK YOU.

23. Photos and data were taken from the
following sources:
f ll
• ATM File Photos
• Oxfam Ombudsman Report on Marinduque
• Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center (LRC)
• Philippine Indigenous Peoples Links (Piplinks)
• Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns
(MACEC)
• Alex Felipe Photos
• www.saverapurapu.blogspot.com
www saverapurapu blogspot com
• www.panoramio.com
• www.mustardseedblog.com
www mustardseedblog com