By Dominic B. dela Cruz
Staff Reporter
Laoag City—The
Sangguniang Panlungsod here passed a resolution imposing the total ban of black
sand mining in the city.
Laoag councilor Edison Bonoan said black sand mining “undoubtedly
causes damage to environment”.
Mr. Bonoan, who sponsored the resolution, said the
council resolution is in support of Provincial Resolution No. 016-2013,
“Resolution Banning Black Sand Mining in The Province of Ilocos Norte,
Enjoining the Issuance of Permits, Urging the Recall of Permits Already Issued
and Voiding All Favorable Endorsements by Local Government Units to Mining
Applicants”.
He added that “it is but proper echo the provincial resolution
in order to emphasize the concerted efforts of all Laoagueños in protecting the
environment”.
He further disclosed that this is the main reason the
city government disapproved an application of an unnamed Chinese national who
applied for a 100-hectare sand mining permit for Brgy. La Paz in this city.
Mr. Bonoan pointed out that black sand mining affects the
environment negatively.
The world’s beaches are being mined for sand for a
variety of uses such as aggregate in concrete, fill, beach re-nourishment. The
practice is often very destructive and poorly managed or unmanaged.
Reports show that black sand mining is a global
phenomenon in Morocco, Caribbean Islands, India, South Africa and more.
This theft of beach and dune sand is a direct cause of
erosion along many shorelines. It is very damaging to the beach fauna and
flora, ruinous to beach aesthetics, and frequently causes environmental damage
to other coastal ecosystems associated with the beach such as wetlands.
Another major impact of beach sand mining is the loss of
protection from storms surges associated with tropical cyclones and tsunamis.
Record shows that some communities affected by the 2004
tsunami in the Indian Ocean had higher storm surges probably due to beach sand
mining resulting in fatalities.
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