MANILA – Environment Secretary Gina Lopez said Thursday she would ban prospective open-pit mines, ahead of her confirmation hearing next week.

Mining groups have opposed the designation of Lopez, who ordered 28 mines shut or suspended and threatened to cancel 75 other contracts. The Commission on Appointments bypassed her last March.

“As a matter of policy, which is my prerogative as DENR secretary, we’re banning open pit mining, prospective, for the following reasons, that pit is gonna be there forever and a day, eternally,” Lopez told reporters.

“Who is gonna take care of that? It’s a financial liability to government for life,” she said.

Open-pit mines “kill the economic potential” of host communities, Lopez said. In one open pit that she inspected, the environment chief said the toxicity level was 500 times above normal levels.

“I am doing this because I have no idea what’s going to happen on Tuesday,” she said.

During the same briefing, Lopez unveiled several policy steps to make transacting with the DENR easier, especially for the poor.

“Things will be speedier. When things are slow, you won’t have social justice. We’re gonna make things easier, faster more accessible and totally transparent,” she said.

These include the removal of tax declarations as requirement for the grant of titles, she said.

“Tutulungan mahihirap, wala silang pera no paano mag tax declaration?” she said.

(We will help the poor. They don’t have money, how can they have tax declarations?)

A mobile app will also be released, which will allow the public to locate watersheds and forest reserves, she said.