THE Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7 will issue an interim cease and desist order (CDO) to a Talisay City-based firm which was caught on video discharging red-colored wastewater directly to the sea in Barangay Dumlog.
Talisay City Mayor Eduardo Gullas has also recommended the issuance of another CDO against GBox Corrugated Packaging Inc. in Sitio Litmon, of the said barangay, after they found various violations in its operations.
In a statement, EMB 7 Director William Cuñado said the firm in question manufactures corrugated pads, wooden pallets and material handling equipment such as hand pallet trucks.
Personnel from EMB 7 and the Talisay City government went to check on the firm on Friday after videos of it discharging red colored water to the sea went viral on social media.
Cuñado said his personnel found that the wastewater generated by the firm was from its inking and labeling area.
The firm’s owner claimed the wastewater was actually rainwater that had to be pumped out to the sea since they didn’t have a proper drainage system.
But Cuñado said the red color seen in the wastewater, which is composed of water-based waste ink made of organic pigments, acrylic resins, alcohol, water and additives, is considered hazardous pursuant to Republic Act 6969 or the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act of 1990.
No treatment
The firm also violated the Philippine Clean Water Act for failure to put up a wastewater treatment facility, and the Philippine Clean Air Act for failure to provide mitigating measures for dusts emitted by its production equipment.
Talisay City Licensing Division chief Maria Jane Enrile said the firm also violated local laws with its failure to acquire a sanitary permit for its operations and a building permit.
The owner of the firm, Paul Edgar Gambong, explained to Enrile and the inspecting team that the red water that they disposed to the sea was actually water coming from the printers they used to mark their products.
Gambong told Enrile that the firm had an existing manhole where they disposed of their wastewater, but it was full due to rains occurring during the previous days.
Because of this, the firm’s employees had to dispose of their water in the sea, Enrile said, quoting Gambong.
But Enrile said she is not convinced of Gambong’s explanation and is vehement in penalizing the firm for the improper disposal of its wastewater.