OPERATIONS of the Carmen Copper Corp. (CCC), operator of the Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp. (ACMDC) in Toledo City, Cebu, will be audited starting today. The audit is being conducted by Teodorico Sandoval, leader of the technical team from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) at the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

For the next three days, the team will investigate CCC’s operations and check its compliance with mine environmental management, mine safety and health, social development and tenement provisions.

The team will also check if CCC has complied with conditions stated on its environmental compliance certificate and with environmental laws, such as Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Hazardous Waste and Chemicals and Solid Waste Management.

Marian Codilla, MGB 7 public information officer, said the audit team met for a final briefing at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 office in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City yesterday.

She said the team is composed of technical representatives from MGB, Environmental Management Bureau and DENR 7 and other regional offices. They are joined by personnel from the Department of Health, Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the Archdiocese of Cebu’s Social Action Center and other civil society representatives.

The audit is being conducted in accordance with provisions of Republic Act 7342, or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.

Codilla said the audit team will investigate CCC’s operations from 2015 to the first semester of this year. The investigation will also include reports and previous incidents that involve CCC’s operations.

But Codilla clarified that CCC is one of the more compliant mining firms in the region and is one of the first in the region that was able to secure international standard for its operations.

As part of the mandate of DENR Secretary Gina Lopez, MGB 7 officials led by Engr. Edgardo Loquellano will be sent to CAR to audit mining operations of Benguet Corp., Lepanto Consolidated Mining Corp. and Philex Mining Corp. / Sunstar Cebu