Bulacan townsfolk up in arms vs waste plant

PLARIDEL, Bulacan — Residents of this town are up in arms against a toxic waste treatment plant which, they alleged, has been operating despite having no proper permits from the municipal government and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

In a petition, the townsfolk said the treatment plant of Enviro-Means II (EMII) in Barangay Sipat has a stockpile of toxic industrial wastes inside its compound, thus posing health risks to the community.

They further claimed that the plant and the company’s warehouse in Barangay Patubuig in Marilao town have violated Republic Act 6969 for improperly managing and disposing of hazardous waste materials.

They are asking Plaridel Mayor Jaime Vistan and Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Heherson Alvarez to look into the plant’s operations.

This developed as the DENR has issued a notice of violation to Rota Industries found responsible for the dumping of toxic and hazardous wastes in two open dumpsites in Sapang Palay in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan, that poisoned 49 people during the Holy Week.

The department is also readying criminal charges against the owner and management of Rota Industries who, if found guilty, face a jail term of 12 to 20 years and a fine of P500,000.

The DENR’s Central Luzon office, Plaridel residents said, had looked into the EMII’s operations and alleged violations of its environmental compliance certificate (ECC), prompting it to temporarily suspend the company’s transport permit

But the residents said that despite the DENR’s move, the EMII continued to stockpile hazardous industrial wastes from factories in Olongapo, Bataan, Cavite, Laguna, Mandaluyong, Pasig, Makati and Muntinlupa, among other places, in its compound and warehouse.

Fr. Jun Roxas, of the Commission on Service-Diocesan Ecological and Environmental Program (DEEP) of the Malolos Archdiocese, said after the issue was brought to their attention, they communicated with Jovito Saguinsuin, head of the provincial environment and natural resources office.

Saguinsuin, in turn, coordinated with the provincial environment and natural resources office. Together with representatives from Greenpeace, the Parish Pastoral Council of Saint Michael Archangel Church and Bantay Kalikasan, the DENR and DEEP inspected EMII’s plant and warehouse.

After the EMII was found to have violated several terms and conditions of its ECC, the DENR’s Central Luzon office temporarily suspended its operations.

However, the residents claimed that toxic and hazardous wastes were still being transported to EMII’s plant and warehouse, raising fears that the toxic materials might spill and seep through the soil, contaminating the water pumping substation located near the plant.

Roxas said Vistan had written a letter to EMII but the firm’s management merely ignored it and continued to transport and haul toxic materials.

The priest said the firm shut down its plant when Alvarez inspected it two weeks ago, but thereafter, resumed operations. — With Katherine Adraneda