ECC violations issued versus condo developer

CEBU, Philippines - The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) yesterday issued a notice of violation against Taft Property Ventures Development Corporation for its failure to comply with the conditions required under the Environmental Compliance Certificate.

 EMB -7 director Fernando P. Quililan said they issued the notice to Taft Property Venture Development Corp., the Gaisano-led developer of Horizons 101, following the collapse of the retaining wall that endangered the houses nearby.

At least three conditions in the ECC have been violated by the developer, based on the notice.

Among the violations cited was the alleged failure of the management to submit an approved work and financial program and gantt chart for the seedling production and tree planting and growing activities.

The developer is required under the ECC to grow 11,500 seedlings in a nursery. The Taft management is also said to have failed to secure permit to operate for the standby generator and failed to submit reports in semi-annual basis of the project.

Section 9 of Presidential Decree 1586, which established the environmental impact system, provides that any person, corporation violating this decree shall be punished by suspension or cancellation of the ECC and or fine of not exceeding P50,000 for every violation.

Quililan has also advised the developer to submit a written explanation on the violations enumerated in the notice during the scheduled technical conference on May 2.

Taft Property management thru its communication consultant Cerwin Eviota said that the company has been compliant with what regulatory agencies require and have conducted all the necessary studies and designs even before government has required them to submit the documentations.

In fact, Eviota said the company had already submitted the engineering geological and geohazard assessment report in compliance with their ECC requirement. He said they have commissioned a geologist to prepare the report.

Eviota said they will submit the required explanation during the scheduled technical conference.

“The company has just started operations and is in progress with preparing the program and documentations as required under Condition Nos. 3 and 8. Having only started actual ground operations, we are looking at starting to submit the semi-annual progress report required under Condition No. 11 as early as June 2012 yet,” Eviota said in a statement.

Last April 10, a retaining wall of Horizon 101 with a dimension of about 15 meters collapsed and another portion which is found at the right and left part has cracks on the retaining wall.

An area of about 1,000 square meters has been excavated with an estimated depth of 20 meters. An estimated 100 families were affected by the collapse but were already taken care of by the company.

The affected residents were housed in different pension houses near the project area. — (FREEMAN)