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Wednesday, June 25, 2003
Ecozone to put up system to treat foul odor
THE Baguio City Economic Zone (BCEZ) is set to install a carbon filtration system on its Standard Factory Building (SFB) septic tank where its domestic wastewater is kept to totally eliminate foul odor.
BCEZ said that it is also conducting a monthly clean-up drive and fumigation at the creek to protect the waterway from pollution and prevent the water from stagnating.
The activity is in cooperation with the locators and nearby barangays.
BCEZ Administrator Sansaluna Pinagayao stressed "to show our commitment in the protection of the environment, we have been implementing our short-term solutions pending the construction of the Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP)."
The STP is worth P95-million and is financed by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, he added.
He also said that they "already made arrangement with the locators that contribute to the acidity of the wastewater (for them) to have a coagulation or filtration treatment system. This is to provide a temporary plan to ensure the continuous compliance to the standards of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources."
This developed after the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau asked BCEZ to continuously treat properly the wastewater of its semi-conductor locators after it was found out that the effluents flow to the Bued River, a critical tributary of the city.
The EMB also recommended that BCEZ find ways to eliminate the foul odor of the wastewater pending the start of the construction of its sewage treatment plant, although it said that during the inspection conducted on May 14, "there was no pervasive odor noted."
This developed after the EMB found out that during weekends or long holidays, no personnel are available to operate the chlorination treatment process of wastewater, thus foul odor emanates from the discharge.
But Pinagayao said "contrary to reports, PEZA has already designated employees to treat its water with chlorine to eliminate the foul odor. This is done including weekends and holidays that is why during the inspection, the EMB technical personnel (noted) no insidious odor."
EMB Regional Director Fredric Villanueva, in his report to Mayor Bernardo Vergara, earlier said that based on the findings and observations of his investigating team, "the current treatment of the wastewater of BCEZ is through the use of a septic tank, where the suspended solid are allowed to settle first before its discharge into a creek, which flows to the Bued River."
"Other discharges into the creek include surface run-offs, the process wastewater of BCEZ, and effluent from Texas Instruments," the report added.
The inspection was made after officials of barangay Loakan-Liwanag appealed to Baguio officials to order an investigation on the alleged toxicity of the wastewater of the PEZA companies.
The City Council, in turn, asked environment and health authorities to immediately check wastewater discharges from BCEZ.
"Wastewater from PEZA may be contaminated with chemicals and other dangerous substances, which may be prejudicial to the health and welfare of the residents of the concerned barangay," the council noted.
Councilor Delfin Balajadia, chair of the Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Traffic Legislation, also said "the attention of the concerned agencies should be worked up to prevent possible health (problem) outbreaks from said wastewater."
Meanwhile, Pinagayao said the "STP is the long-term solution to the problems of foul odor at the creek and the presence of some mineral waste that are used in the operation of the companies."
He also admitted that the bidding for the STP project was already published and is scheduled for implementation from August this year to July next year. "The PEZA Bids and Awards Committee is, however, conducting re-invitation of the said project to foreign and local contractors because not one from the previous evaluated contractors met the minimum requirements."
PEZA has also made an agreement with the Loakan-Liwanag barangay council for a monthly conduct of clean up at said creek to ensure the continuous flow of wastewater and to minimize pollution. This month's clean up will be on June 28. CGC
(June 25, 2003 issue)
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