TUBA Mayor Ignacio Rivera said an investigation will continue and file charges against the responsible persons involved in the hospital wastes dumped in Sitio Bayaksan, Taloy Sur, Tuba, Benguet.
“We are still completing the list of involved persons whom we will file a complaint including the truck owner. We would furnish a copy to Environment Management Bureau because they cannot merely dump hospital waste,” said Rivera.
The mayor added they have furnished City Mayor Mauricio Domogan of the hospital waste dumped in some private lots along Marcos Highway discovered July 9.
“It’s not possible that we are only the ones to clean up the waste, “the mayor added.
Hospital waste like dextrose sets, syringes of different sizes with needles and wrappings, empty fluid packs, vials, semitransparent rubber tubes and other medical operation waste were dumped in a 5,000 square meter lot.
Some of the waste were already washed and swept away by the rain waters towards the creek flowing to Najeng River of Tabaan Norte which is the main contributory river of the Tapuakan River in Pugo, La Union.
Tuba Municipal Police Chief Inspector James Acod said they are conducting investigation to identify other people involved and in lieu for the filing of the violation of RA 9003 Solid Waste Management Act, RA6969 / Toxic and Hazardous Waste Act and other pertinent laws against the people involved.
The hospital materials dumped were reported to have been dumped since last month.
On July 16, Saint Paul Parish priest Camilo Ongsit have also called on authorities for immediate clean –up of the dumped hospital waste.
“Due to the continuous rain, hazardous waste had continuously moved down the creeks below the dumping areas which poses potential risks to the communities located along the river banks coming from these adjoining creeks along Bayacsan area. If said problem will not be solved then even the communities who depend on these water bodies ill surely be affected from Diyang, Pi-ig, Shumshang, Bakbakan, Nabjeng, Toybongan, Parasipis, Tapuakan, Pugo La Union.”
Residents in the area have also asked for the immediate retrieval of toxic waste, to account number of truck load being dumped in the different areas and identify the possible length of the river affected by the solid waste.
In addition, they have also sought for the hiring of more people to clean the rea and for faster retrieval of the toxic waste, possible disinfection of the area to control possible health risk, immediate placement of control measure at the box culvert of the Gold Rich which serves as the bottle neck of the adjoining creeks.