Greenpeace: Bare chemicals that downed Cavite folk

MANILA, Philippines – Environmentalists yesterday vowed to get to the bottom of the toxic pollution incidents that downed residents of a village in Silang, Cavite, demanding that a hazardous waste treatment company there make a “full disclosure” of what chemicals, and in what quantities, have spilled out to the environment.

Greenpeace collected over the weekend samples of effluents from a wastewater discharge pipe of Cleanway Technology Corp. (CTC) in Silang town and “blocked” the pipe from the company.

According to the group’s Water Patrol activists, CTC’s discharge pipe allegedly empties directly into a small creek that flows through nearby communities and into freshwater springs in the vicinity, before joining tributaries to Laguna Lake. 

They also obtained samples of water from the spring as well as from “contaminated” soil.

They then proceeded to the CTC gates to call on the firm’s management to receive their letter of demand and face questions on the toxic chemical effluents and noxious fumes that downed some 70 residents in a nearby village in four reported “poison leaks” in October. 

“Up to now, more than two weeks after the first of four reported poison leaks, (the CTC) has yet to disclose what chemicals, and in what quantities, have spilled out to the environment due to their operations. Also, none of the government probes that were initiated after the first leak have yielded definite results,” said Beau Baconguis, Greenpeace Southeast Asia toxics campaigner. 

Greenpeace urged the government to pursue an investigation by independent laboratories, even as it is also capable of conducting its own tests at the Greenpeace Research Laboratories at the University of Exeter in England.

“Communities around this hazardous waste facility are being poisoned by chemicals from (CTC). No one knows – or more correctly, no one wants to reveal – exactly what is harming people’s lives,” Baconguis said.

Full disclosure

“Greenpeace is demanding full disclosure of these chemicals from (CTC), as well as full cooperation from the company in the investigation of the case,” Baconguis said. 

“(CTC) should be held accountable for damage inflicted on human health and on the environment. They should be held responsible for the cleanup of the contamination,” Baconguis added. 

The CTC operates a hazardous waste treatment plant at the Meridian Industrial Park in Silang. The facility is licensed to treat medical and hazardous wastes.

Greenpeace said residents of nearby communities have observed foul odor coming from the plant and that this was noted to be strongest during the alleged chemical leaks that occurred on Oct. 14, 24, 26 and 27.

Reports said some 70 people suffered vomiting, nose bleeding, fainting, and dizziness, and that several victims, including nine severe cases, are still confined, awaiting further toxicological tests at the Philippine General Hospital.

Greenpeace insisted that the identification of the pollutant is crucial to the effective treatment of the victims. 

Silang Mayor Clarito Poblete issued a cease-and-desist order to the CTC last Oct. 16, and padlocked its wastewater treatment plant. 

Despite this, the company continues to operate and process hazardous wastes even if its wastewater treatment plant is disabled.

Greenpeace lamented that aside from non-disclosure of the toxic chemicals, the company has not made public if it has indeed taken steps to prevent further damage and to improve its operations in the future. 

The group criticized the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for keeping the public “in the dark” on what actions the government has taken to address the incident.

“The DENR has yet to give full information on what measures have been undertaken. People are not being told about the results of investigations nor of (CTC’s) environmental compliance submissions,” said Eloisa Tolentino of the Cavite Green Coalition.