DENR imposes sanctions on Cavite steel company

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has ordered the suspension of Sonic Steel’s Environmental Compliance Certificate and to cease and desist from operating its machine generating pollution." Sonic Steel was also ordered to pay a fine of P160,000.

The closure order was meted out by Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) OIC regional director for Calabarzon Luciano G. Hornilla following a public hearing presided by EMB National Director Juliano Amador regarding a petition filed by residents of Barangay Hugo Perez and NGO Earthsavers Movement with the DENR for the immediate closure of the Sonic plant which manufactures galvanized iron roofing.

"We are saddened by the DENR decision because a mere suspension of Sonic’s outdated ECC is not enough since its existing 1997 ECC does not cover the 2001 expansion of their Superlume production line. We believe a cancellation not a suspension, of Sonic’s ECC is warranted and fair to the people Hugo Perez," Roger Birosel, director general of the Earthsavers Movement, said.

According to Birosel, wastewater and soil samples taken from Sonic’s outfall pipe has 41.22 parts per million (ppm) of lead in water and in the soil affected by the wastewater outfall has 46.99 ppm, both of which are higher than DENR standards of 5.0 ppm. "Even the elementary school’s faucet water has zinc mg/l at 50 times the DENR standard of 0.02 mg/l," Birosel added.

Birosel said this alarming lead toxicity level is proof that Sonic did not have a wastewater treatment facility. "It has been a time bomb silently spreading ailments and death in Barangay Hugo Perez. This lead toxicity level is eight to nine times greater than the standard and if taken by the townsfolk could affect the brain and lead to mental illness or death," he added.

On the other hand, local officials of Trece Martirez who attended the hearing belied reports that Sonic Steel had recently been causing problems to their environment.

Trece Martirez Mayor Wenceslao de Sagun said he had inspected Sonic Steel’s GI sheet factory and found it to be in order. He said the plant is using liquefied petroleum gas and electricity and not disposing toxic water, contrary to what was reported. He added that problems with noise can easily be remedied and Sonic management had been very cooperative.

"Sonic supported my rival in the last elections, but still I am not pushing for their closure because I know they are not harming the environment," he said in Filipino. "I believe some people are just taking advantage of this issue to hit Sonic. Let us not allow ourselves to be used by those people."

Ricardo Perdito, barangay chairman of Hugo Perez, said he resides right behind Sonic’s factory and majority of the people there were his relatives. "I will not risk my life and the life of my loved ones by residing near Sonic if it was a polluter. But I have been living there for years now and have been the barangay chairman since 1989 yet I or my relatives have not been seriously ill," he said.