A MANUFACTURING firm based in Talisay City that was accused of improperly disposing their wastewater to the sea has been given 45 days to comply with the necessary permits and requirements or else they will face a daily fine for their violation, an official of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7 said.
In a statement, EMB 7 director William Cuñado said they informed the violations against GBox Corrugated Packaging Inc. (GCPI) during their technical conference held in their office on Thursday, January 24.
The conference was previously scheduled on January 25, 2019 but due to the urgency of the complaint case against GCPI, it was moved to an earlier date, Cuñado said.
Cuñado said as part of their agreement, GCPI must construct a material recovery facility (MRF) and must observe proper segregation, containment and labeling of their residual and solid wastes.
He also directed GCPI to construct a wastewater treatment facility and apply for a corresponding discharge permit before their office.
The firm was also obligated to register as a hazardous waste generator and acquire the services of a Treatment, Storage, and Disposal (TSD) facility accredited by EMB to take care of their stored hazardous ink waste.
Cuñado warned that failure to comply with the foregoing commitments will compel them to impose a penalty amounting to P 10,000 per day of violation.
Cuñado said they will continuously monitor GCPI’s operations following what they did earlier this month.
A video posted on Facebook showing the firm disposing red-colored wastewater towards the sea in Barangay Dumlog, Talisay City went viral and has been criticized by netizens.
The video also promoted the Talisay City government and EMB to conduct an investigation on the firm’s operations which unveiled various violations.
Cuñado reminded all establishments to always follow the mandates of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to avoid problems in the future.
“Let us all be reminded that balance in economic growth and environmental management should always be prioritized so as to avoid problems in your operations, “ Cuñado added.