MANILA (Reuters) - The Philippines will suspend more than 10 additional mines in an ongoing environmental crackdown on the sector but the announcement of who will be shut has been moved to Sept. 26, the minister in charge of mining said on Wednesday.
The Southeast Asian nation, the world's top supplier of nickel ore, has already halted the operations of 10 mines, eight of them nickel producers, for environmental lapses since it launched an audit in July, stoking increases in global prices.
Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Regina Lopez said more than 10 additional mines will "definitely" be suspended "because of the many violations."
Other details, including the identities of those to be suspended, will be announced on Sept. 26, she said.
On Monday, Lopez told Reuters that it was "possible" that a further 10 or more mines could be suspended.