Laos - Japan helps Laos to control mining industry pollution

The Ministry of Energy and Mines will pay greater attention to training mining officials, to help local administrations manage the growing mining industry.

Minister of Energy and Mines Mr Soulivong Daravong said yesterday the main role of the ministry was not to manage the mining industry directly but rather to set policies and train mining officials. Trained officials would ensure a sufficient supply of skilled workers for local administrations so they could manage the mining industry.

“I met with local authorities and told them they would have more responsibility in managing the mining industry,” Mr Soulivong said, speaking at the opening ceremony of a workshop in Vientiane yesterday.

The workshop aimed to teach mining officials how the Japanese controlled pollution arising from the mining industry. A number of mining officials attended the workshop, where they learned about the Japanese legislative system and controls in the area of mine pollution prevention from experts from the Japan Oil, Gas and Metal National Corporation.

Japanese Ambassador to Laos Ms Junko Yokota also attended the event.

Mr Soulivong thanked the Japanese organisation for providing information on mining pollution control. He also urged mining policymakers to review Laos’ legislation on pollution so they would comply with international standards.

Japan Oil, Gas and Metal National Corporation Executive Director, Mr Tetsuji Nagatomo, said at the workshop’s opening ceremony that Japan had been a top exporter of copper and had a lot of experience in the control of pollution in the mining industry.

He said Japan had learnt that despite mining sites having been closed for several years, pollution still existed and affected the environment and communities living around old mining sites.

The Japan Oil, Gas and Metal National Corporation had played an important role in providing financial support and technical knowledge to enable the local authorities to address the negative impacts of closed mining sites.

Mr Nagatomo said his organisation was aware of the Lao government’s policy on addressing the environmental impacts of the mining industry, adding that one of the best indicators of this was the government’s decision to call a halt to further investment in mining.

He also noted that the Lao government had ordered a review of mining operations around the country so they would be equipped with the necessary measures and tools to address environmental impacts and pollution concerns.

According to a report from the Lao Ministry of Energy and Mines, there are more than 150 mining firms in Laos operating more than 200 mining projects.

In 2011, the output of mining products saw a 14 percent increase over 2010. Most products – mainly copper, gold and potassium – are exported. It is government policy to end the export of unprocessed minerals in order to add value to the country’s natural resources and create more jobs.

Source: Vientiane Times

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