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Quarry suspension along Sacobia River in Pampanga extended

By Joel Mapiles

August 8, 2017, 3:15 pm

 

 

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga, Aug. 8 -- The provincial government of Pampanga, together with Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and Clark Development Corporation (CDC), have decided to extend the suspension of quarry operations along Sacobia River for another week

The decision stemmed from the rapid assessment report on the identification of geohazards and potential quarry areas in Sacobia River, Clark Special Economic Zone discussed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) during the second joint meeting Monday of Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda, BCDA president Vince Dizon and BCDA chairman Jose “Ping” De Jesus and PCDC president Noel Manankil.

The assessment team concluded that upstream portion of the Sacobia River is being dumped with “lahar” deposits.

Engineer Noel Lacadin, chief geologist of MGB, said that from Mactan gate of Sacobia River which is about three kilometers upstream of Sacobia Bridge, the portion of the river is characterized as braided as  shown by the presence of island bars containing sand and gravel deposits indicative of deposition.

Lacadin also said that they observed that downstream to Sacobia Bridge, the channel is incised or deeply cut due to desilting or quarrying.

“The depositional nature of this segment causes channel shifting which endangers farm lots and houses with channel erosion," he said.
Governor Pineda expressed an alarming concern on the deposition of lahar materials from the Sacobia Bridge up to Maskup Sabo Dam that may cause possible channel shifting.

“We will suspend the quarrying of the 21 quarry operators here,” she said.

With this, the provincial executives are now keen on creating guidelines on which areas to direct quarry activities to prevent unscrupulous looting of sand, scooping much beyond permissible levels.

Likewise, Provincial Government Environment Environment and Natural Resources Office (PGENRO) chief Art Punsalan is bent to exert double efforts in monitoring quarry operations to proceed as planned.

It was also agreed that the PGENRO will put up signage for the no-quarrying zone and violation of this is tantamount to filing of criminal charges before the court of law.

At present, 118 truckers a day acquire sand and gravel which contributes to the massive decrease in the good quality sand being quarried from the Sacobia River.

As agreed, the povincial officials, together with the executives of CDC and BCDA will formulate a desilting plan, policy and guidelines on quarry operation. (PNA)

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