Fishers suing officials over toxic waste

Fishermen have been preparing to sue local government officials of Pinamungajan and Aloguinsan for allowing the Japan Petroleum Explorations Company Inc. to throw its toxic wastes in an open dumpsite, which threaten the health of the residents of these towns.

Vince Cinches, executive director of Fishermen Development Center, said his group has been consolidating evidences to support the case it will file against the town officials by next week.

JAPEX has been contracted by the Department of Energy to conduct oil and gas explorations on Tañon Strait, which has been believed to have estimated deposits of a billion barrels of oil.

The company started drilling its first exploratory well off the waters of Pinamungajan and Aloguinsan last November 15 despite opposition from local fishermen. 

Cinches said that there have been reports from local residents and fishermen that JAPEX has been disposing its drill mud at the open dump in Aloguinsan. An investigation also showed that JAPEX bought a lot in Aloguinsan that was then converted into a special dumpsite for its toxic wastes, he said.

Cinches said his group is now apprehensive because drill mud contains heavy metals such as lead cadmium and mercury, which when exposed may cause diseases and endanger the health of humans.

Environmental Management Bureau regional director Alan Arranguez said that “JAPEX is allowed to dispose their wastes basta dili sa dagat. But the Philippines has no capacity to treat toxic wastes such as this drill mud. We feel that this could have a massive effect especially that it can affect the water system,” Cinches said.

In a radio interview the other day, Arranguez admitted that JAPEX has been disposing its wastes in the dumpsite because their environmental compliance certificate prohibits them to dispose its wastes on the sea.

Arranguez however explained that the drill mud that JAPEX disposes in its special dumpsite is not harmful to the people’s health and the environment because this is water-based and is easily neutralized.

A website on the Internet stated that one of the essential elements of drilling a well, for the extraction of oil and gas, is the drilling fluid, known as the ‘mud’ system. The mud is pumped down the drill pipe to flood from the neck of the drill bit. It is then returned to the surface around the outside of the drill pipe.

The main functions of drilling mud are: cooling and lubrication; removal of cuttings; and maintaining the well under pressure to control ingress of liquid and gas. The specific objective of this work was to establish the best method for measuring exposure to drilling mud vapours and mist.  — Wenna A. Berondo/RAE