Chemphil plant in Pasig resumes operations

The chemical plant of the publicly-listed Chemphil Group in Pasig City has re-opened after an eight-month closure imposed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) over its failure to meet certain environmental standards.

Chemphil vice president for legal services Rolando Navarro said the city government of Pasig has lifted the closure order following a similar move by the DENR as the company was able to comply with an agreement basically requiring the implementation of a revised Environmental Management Plan for the plant’s operations.

In September last year, the DENR ordered the closure of the sulfuric flaking plant after toxic fumes emitted at the site allegedly caused the death of a nearby resident and the hospitalization of several others. The DENR said that based on tests, the plant exceeded the allowable level of sulfur trioxide emission, making it unsafe to the environment and equally hazardous to people.

Chemphil was then ordered to revise its environmental management system for its operation, including the identification of all possible sources of sulfur, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and sulfuric acid emissions; the handling and storage methods of the raw materials and finished products; and more detailed long-term mitigating measures for any malfunction in the process or leakage in the lines or in the storage tanks.

But under the lifting order, several conditions have been attached, foremost of which is the immediate suspension of the plant’s operations should complaints again arise against the project, which can only be lifted until corrective measures are implemented and the complaints resolved.

Also, the Pasig government said Chemphil should secure all pertinent environmental permits from the DENR and the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), as well as from the local government unit’s office to ensure its compliance with standards set forth under the Clean Air Act of 1999.

The order also mandates Chemphil continuous compliance to the memorandum of agreement and the regular coordination/operation of the multi-partite monitoring team, especially the conduct of community information campaign.

The plant’s re-opening comes at a time when the Chemphil group is under a massive restructuring strategy that will rationalize its businesses, including plans to sell off certain assets and spin-off non core units.

The country’s biggest chemical manufacturer, the Chemphil group has expanded into general insurance, chemical bulk storage, personal care products, agribusiness and real estate.