By Manolo Serapio Jr and Enrico Dela Cruz
MANILA, Aug 8 (Reuters) - The Philippines has suspended the operations of the country's only iron ore miner due to environmental infractions, officials said on Monday, bringing to eight the number of mineral producers halted in a government crackdown.
The Southeast Asian nation, the world's top nickel ore supplier, began an audit of all its metallic mines on July 8, shaking global nickel markets as seven nickel miners were suspended for causing environmental harm. Asia Mining and Development Corp, which runs an iron ore mine in Bulacan province, north of the capital Manila, was suspended after an investigation showed it polluted a river, Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Leo Jasareno told reporters.
"We're stopping the whole operation," said Jasareno, adding that ore transport permits have been withdrawn. The company produced 40,000 tonnes of iron ore last year, said Jasareno.
An official from privately owned Ore Asia Mining's legal department told Reuters by phone that the company has yet to receive the suspension order.
While the Southeast Asian nation is a small iron ore producer, it is the biggest supplier of nickel ore to No. 1 consumer China.
The environmental audit into the country's 40 mines is being spearheaded by firebrand President Rodrigo Duterte and Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Regina Lopez. It is expected to be completed this month and has helped prop up global nickel prices CMNI3 near 11-month highs. a series of tweets by the Environment and Natural Resources agency on Monday, Jasareno was quoted as saying he expects an audit on Australian miner OceanaGold Corp's OGC.AX Didipio gold-copper mine in the northern Luzon island to be finished next week.
Other miners being audited include Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co LC.PS and Philex Mining Corp's PX.PS gold mines, also in Luzon, and Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp's AT.PS gold mine in central Visayas island, the agency said in a tweet attributed to Jasareno.
"I don't need gold. What do you need it for? You don't need it for survival. You need trees, clean air, clean water," Lopez, a staunch environmentalist, was quoted by the agency as saying in a separate tweet.
Lopez made the remarks after signing an agreement with four other government agencies - Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of National Defense, Philippine National Police and the Department of Transporation - to form a task force that will enforce environmental laws.