"RP environment minister: Stop nickel ore exports from Manicani island", 22 July 2016

The Philippine mining minister said on Wednesday she has asked Nickel Asia Corp. to stop shipping nickel ore to China, citing environmental concerns at the company's mine on an island along the country's eastern central edge.

The move follows a government audit of Nickel Asia's operations on Manicani island, where the country's top nickel producer has stockpiled an estimated 1.4 million tons of ore from a closed mine.

The audit found that Nickel Asia was taking out too much soil in its Manicani hauling operations and shipping it to China along with the ore, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Regina Lopez told reporters after speaking at a business forum...

There was no immediate response from Nickel Asia to a Reuters' request for comment. Lopez said she had recently met with Nickel Asia President Gerard Brimo to relay her concern about Manicani's people and environment.

Lopez said Nickel Asia had already shipped about 400,000 tons of nickel ore in batches from Manicani to China.

"That's enough. That's already a lot of money," she said...