THE Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro) has reminded industries in Negros Occidental to ensure compliance with environmental measures set by the government amid the fishkill incident that hit anew in Pontevedra town.
Penro head Edgardo Rostata, in a phone interview with SunStar Bacolod Thursday, May 10, said industries, especially big ones, with potentials to cause air, water, and land pollutions must comply with the specifications provided under the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
Rostata said these industries include plants, factories, sugar centrals, as well as beach resorts, among others.
"As development partners of the government, though industries are giving economic benefits to the community like income and employment, they have to be faithful also to their environmental protection and conservation responsibility," he added.
On Tuesday, May 8, a dam of the sugar milling firm Central Azucarera de la Carlota Inc. (Caci) at Barangay Nagasi in La Carlota City has collapsed and spilled over wastewater reportedly causing fishkill among rivers of the neighboring town.
Officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environment Management Bureau
(DENR-EMB) in Western Visayas, during the conduct of inspection and water sampling, saw manifestations of possible pollution like discoloration of water and presence of dead fish in the river.
The municipal government initially reported that five barangays greatly affected by the fishkill as it affects the livelihood of many town residents.
Caci admitted that one of their impounding dams containing its factory water discharge collapsed resulting in overspill.
The company said it is currently doing measures to address the problem like investigating the event and looking into the integrity and quality of work done to the collapsed dam, which was rehabilitated just last year.
As this developed, Rostata said industries should check their environment protection control devices.
Rostata said they should make sure that these are properly operating and stable so it can still stand in times of environmental catastrophe or untoward events.
"Every industry has its own Pollution Control Officers, who is designated to see to it that they are compliant to government regulations," he added.
The DENR has already directed Penro to be involved in the monitoring of structures whether they have committed environmental law violations.
Penro, along with the local government, already started the inventory of beach resorts in Sipalay City.
They are checking on the establishment's compliance with water quality control, permit, and ECC, among others.
Rostata said the joint monitoring team, including the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) as well as the association of beach resort owners, has yet to sit down and consolidate the results of the monitoring during this month.
The same activity will also be conducted in other localities in Negros Occidental.
Rostata said this would encourage other agencies to also do their part in conducting monitoring of environmental law compliance of structures in their areas of concerned.
"To the industries, let us not compromise the health of our host-community," he said, adding that ECC mandates companies to address all negative impacts to the property, population, and environment," he stressed.
Meanwhile, the result of the analysis of the water samples taken from the fishkill-affected river is expected to come out next week.
DENR-EMB Western Visayas said whatever the results, they will submit it to the Pollution Adjudication Board for the determination of possible penalties against the sugar mill.