THE Central Azucarera de la Carlota Inc. (Caci) presented to the La Carlota City Council the mitigation measures it conducted to address “odor” concerns raised by residents against its sugar mill operating at Barangay Nagasi.

The firm, in a statement Friday, December 15, said the presentation was in response to the letter of Vice Mayor Rex Jalando-on dated December 6, inviting Caci to lay down measures taken to mitigate the alleged pollution at the Najalin Dam.

The City Council acknowledged and expressed appreciation to the mitigation measures the company has presented, it said.

Caci is a subsidiary of sugar and ethanol producer Roxas Holdings Inc. (RHI), which also operates bioethanol plant Roxol Bioenergy Corp. (RBC) also situated in Barangay Nagasi.

Daisy Bo, assistant vice president of RHI, said the council’s positive response shows that the firm's consistent and focused environmental efforts to address concerns are already paying off.

“It serves as a strong impetus for implementing permanent solutions,” Bo added.

RHI Environmental System manager Roselle Recreo, who led the technical presentation on Monday, assured city officials that Caci will continue the environmental measures that it has put in place.

These measures are in addition to the regular processes at the plant to ensure that the status of the wastewater at the dam is within acceptable standards of concerned government regulatory agencies, she said.

During the presentation, the City Council was also briefed on the improvements in the condition of the plant’s wastewater, particularly the fermentation process, which was one of the identified possible reasons for the alleged unusual odor.

On November 16, the City Government issued a cease and desist order (CDO) against RBC also amid reports on obnoxious odor allegedly emanating from the plant.

The city then lifted the CDO on December 5 after the inspection and verification of the mitigating measures the firm has implemented and committed to implement since the time of closure.