|
Mining Concessions under
Revision in Honduras
Over 500 mining concessions are
being revised countrywide due to
deficiencies found in many of
them, Minister of Natural
Resources and Environment of
Honduras, Mayra Mejia, said.
The investigation is part of
steps undertaken to apply a bill
proposed by President Manuel
Zelaya to regulate exploration
and mining.
Most concessions have
deficiencies, including a weak
social implication, with many of
them putting environmental
preservation in danger, said
Mejia.
"The State has signed contracts
which are not in line with
international standards or have
many flaws, so they have to be
revised so that we can have more
environmental-friendly accords
without affecting the health of
the residents in mining areas,"
she stressed.
Under the argument of promoting
investment, Central American
governments offer US and
Canadian mining multinationals
concessions for 15 to 30 years,
with a one or two-percent tax
over full operation.
A strong environmentalist
movement to demand the
derogation of the Mining Act has
been developed countrywide.
|
|
