BY CARLA GOMEZ
The San Carlos City government is calling on the San Carlos Bioenergy Inc. to put a stop to the water and air pollution it is causing, and on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to act on the matter, Mayor Gerardo Valmayor Jr. said yesterday.
Valmayor said he has written to SCBI to act on the matter and met with its representatives Thursday night for an explanation on measures they are tasking to address the problem.
On Wednesday, the San Carlos Sangguniang Panlungsod also passed a resolution seeking DENR action on the pollution, he added.
He said the pungent smell from the waste of the plant is very noticeable especially in the afternoons.
An online petition is also calling on SCBI to stop the foul odor coming from its ethanol plant that is affecting the communities in San Carlos City and Calatrava in Negros Occidental.
The petition, posted by Bro. Jaazeal Jakosalem, an environment advocate, at http://www.change.org , says “the odor has affected the health of the people, and that there are recorded cases of hospitalization and other breathing-related problems”.
He also said there are recorded pollution of the rivers and the coastal areas affecting the marine life, and causing fish kill.
The online petition has drawn 250 signatures and numerous comments online.
“I am signing, not because I am against the company but they have to be responsible as well for the safety health and environment. Many residents have complained about this but the cries were not heard,” Araceli Piedad wrote.
“San Carlos City is no longer a clean city. The smell is awful and our sea is polluted, and I want some action taken against the company that is responsible for doing this,” Eileen Algarme wrote.
Jojo Salvador, SCBI spokesman, assured that the welfare of the community is the primary concern of the firm.
In fact, SCBI voluntarily shut down operations for three days to prevent further emission of waste water, following an overflow triggered by strong rains before Holy Week, he said.
This caused losses to the firm, estimated at P15 million, since he said it produces about P5 million worth of ethanol a day. “We did not put profit above the welfare of the community,” he said. In fact, since SCBI resumed operations this week, it has not been at full capacity, he added.
He said SCBI maintained a high level of production thinking that with the hot weather that occurs during Holy Week, the waste water in their pond would not overflow. However, Salvador said the rains that hit last week caused the waste water to overflow into the canals and spill into the sea.
To solve the problem, he said, they pumped out the waste water from the canals into 20 fishponds on a 40-hectare property of Rep. Julio Ledesma IV (Neg. Occ., 1 st District), from whom they sought permission to prevent the waste from seeping out to the sea.
Since it is biodegradable, the waste water in five of the ponds had fully decomposed and the rest in 15 other ponds will also fully decompose in three weeks time, Salvador said.
Foul odor occurs during the decomposition process, he said.
Salvador said they are doing all they can to mitigate the problem and are coordinating with the city government.
“We are ready to provide assistance to the affected communities through the city government,” he said.
Meanwhile, residents of Barangay Purisima in Manapla town are also complaining of foul odor caused by the Victorias Milling Co. distillery, especially when it rains.
The representatives of the firm said the problem began when electricity and waste treatment were affected by super typhoon “Yolanda”, and assured that they are addressing the problem.*CPG
| AT SCBI DENR issues notice of violation BY CARLA GOMEZ A notice of violation has been issued against the San Carlos Bionergy Inc. for the failure of its treated waste water to meet Department of Environment and Natural Resources standards, Vicente Losbañes, DENR Provincial Environmental Management Unit head, said yesterday. San Carlos City Mayor Gerardo Valmayor, meanwhile, has demanded that the firm address the pollution problem, or face sanctions that could include closure of its operations. San Carlos residents have been complaining against the water and air pollution caused by the firm. Losbañes said the notice of violation was issued following a January waste water spill, and it requires the SCBI to pay fine of P10,000 a day fine until the waste water emitted by the plant meets DENR standards. He said water samples were also taken following another SCBI waste water spill before Holy Week and the results are still being awaited. SCBI has a pending application before his office for the barging out of its waste water, Losbañes said. In a letter to SCBI vice president for operations Rolando Bisana dated April 21, 2014, Valmayor said “The cause of pollutant in our environment has become a pattern that can no longer be tolerated”. Valmayor said he demands that the pollution issue be settled by SCBI, otherwise the city government will be compelled to demand immediate imposition of appropriate sanctions in accordance with its Environmental Compliance Certificate “that will lead to the stoppage and closure of your operation to protect the rights and interest of our community”. SCBI spokesperson Jojo Salvador has assured that the firm is taking measures to prevent the pollution as it is concerned about the welfare of the community. In fact, he said, the firm voluntarily shut down operations for three days as one of its measures to address the problem. Salvador said they are coordinating with the city government on the measures they are taking. ON VMC Meanwhile, Losbañes said residents complaining about air pollution caused by the Victorias Milling Co. distillery should file a complaint with his office so they can take action on it.*CPG |
http://visayandailystar.com/2014/April/29/topstory6.htm
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