Officials put 50-year hiatus on major industry in effort to protect local communities: 'It reflects the lack of consent'

Officials put 50-year hiatus on major industry in effort to protect local communities: 'It reflects the lack of consent'

The Palawan province of the Philippines has just taken a historic step to protect its communities from mining pollution and environmental destruction by putting a 50-year moratorium on new mining projects, Rappler reported. The area is home to some of the country's nickel mines already, with 16 mining firms and 67 applications that will be unaffected by the new ordinance. However, local officials have decided enough is enough and will not consid…