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Pitfalls and Pipelines - Philippine Indigenous Peoples Links

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Chapter 1.1: Overview of Impacts of Extractive Industries on <strong>Indigenous</strong> <strong>Peoples</strong><br />

9<br />

once the project is over, there will be a period of rehabilitation<br />

<strong>and</strong> reclamation. In theory this should be planned for in<br />

advance, with enough money set aside to ensure the area is<br />

rehabilitated to as safe an environment as possible. In practice<br />

a company may try to maximize profits, <strong>and</strong> as a result skimp<br />

on this phase. As noted in the section below on acid mine<br />

drainage, even where rehabilitation takes place there may still<br />

be problems with groundwater issues. 16<br />

Ten Stages of Mining Development<br />

By Richard Thompson 17<br />

The following is a brief summary of these 10 stages, which may take place<br />

during several years of intensive technical <strong>and</strong> economic, study, analysis,<br />

testing, financing, <strong>and</strong> construction before a mining project becomes a<br />

reality. It was prepared to illustrate the potential impact of the different<br />

project stages <strong>and</strong> associated issues on local communities. Given its<br />

brevity, it by no means explains all of the detailed work required at each<br />

stage to accomplish the establishment of a working mine.<br />

1. Reconnaissance – Requires air survey, ground truth, examination of<br />

roads, topography, river systems. An evaluation of the potential license<br />

area.<br />

2. Prospecting – Requires the removal of samples, geochemical<br />

investigation of water courses, use of local tracks <strong>and</strong> roads, marking<br />

of survey points.<br />

3. Exploration 1 (initial drilling) – Requires machinery on to site,<br />

creating work areas <strong>and</strong> access. It makes noise <strong>and</strong> dust. People may<br />

need to be moved.<br />

4. Exploration 2 (infill drilling) – Requires more machinery, much<br />

more drilling (several months), with possible disruption of l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />

community.<br />

5. Feasibility – Intrusive activity ceases, but a few officials return from<br />

time to conduct social <strong>and</strong> environmental impact assessments.<br />

6. Raising Finance – Origin of mining company dictates sources of<br />

funding. Ethical questions arise when origin is from poorly regulated<br />

jurisdictions.

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