THE Roxas Holdings Inc. (RHI) said it is doing measures to ensure that there is no occurrence of pollution from its two plants in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental.
The firm issued the statement following the air pollution concerns raised by Pontevedra Mayor Jose Benito Alonso, attributing it to the ethanol plant Roxol Bioenergy Corp., operating at Barangay Nagasi, La Carlota.
Sugar mill Central Azucarera de la Carlota Inc. (Caci) is also a subsidiary of the RHI.
Luis Villa-Abrille, executive vice president and chief operating officer for ethanol of RHI, in a press statement yesterday said the ethanol plant undertakes regular rounds in the communities.
It is also coordinating with the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office to ensure that no incidents of pollution will occur, he said.
The plant is currently commissioning two 5,000-cubic meter anaerobic digesters on top of its two other 10,000 cubic-meter equipment to improve its wastewater management system and avoid any pollution concern, Villa-Abrille added.
Earlier, Alonso told SunStar Bacolod that residents of Barangay Don Salvador Benedicto have been experiencing intermittent foul odor since early June.
The mayor said he already discussed the concern with La Carlota City Mayor Luis Jalandoni III together with their respective environment and natural resources officers.
“We agreed to come up with a joint statement if the foul odor continues,” he said.
Prior to the reported air pollution, two fishkill incidents were already reported in four barangays of Pontevedra last February and April.
Local officials have attributed both incidents to the wastewater being discharged by the ethanol plant to the rivers connecting the two localities.
For his part, Caci vice president and general manager Esteban Coscolluela
said they support the environmental causes which Alonso laid out for the town.
The RHI is committed to assist the local government in cleaning up San Juan River where various kinds of pollutants have accumulated over the years, Coscolluela added.