REPRESENTATIVES of the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (EMB-DENR) Western Visayas headed by Engineer Paul Wellen Orosio arrived in San Carlos City Wednesday morning, February 24, 2021, to inspect alleged violations of the San Carlos Bioenergy Inc. (SCBI).
The team together with the City Environment Management Office (Cemo) examined the holding ponds, creeks, and coastline of Tañon Strait, including the wastewater coming from the bioethanol plant.
Orosio said the San Carlos City local government unit through City Mayor Renato Y. Gustilo requested to have the situation investigated by the DENR and to confirm reports if indeed effluent from the bioethanol plant already reached Tañon Straight.
He added that they will make an initial assessment based on their field inspection, wait for the analysis of the samples taken from various bodies of water to know where the discoloration started and ended and submit it to the regional office for adjudication.
Other than Orosio, the team composed of Engr. Cristina Ruth Desuyo, and Engr. Geremae Magbanua also took pictures and saw that liquid wastes stored at the plant’s holding ponds were almost overflowing that SCBI had barricaded the walls with sandbags and tires to prevent them from collapsing into the roadside of Route 7 national highway.
On Wednesday, City Mayor Renato Gustilo said he will not allow SCBI to operate until they settle environmental issues.
“I have a moral obligation towards the people of San Carlos, to protect their welfare and also the environment,” Gustilo said.
Engr. Arthur Batomalaque, senior environment management specialist of Cemo, confirmed that years ago, the SCBI was already penalized by the DENR for the violations they referred to the Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB), including recurring water discolorations, foul smell and other environmental issues.
The SCBI is the first regenerative combined cycle power plant in Asia using sugar cane that produces 42 million liters of bioethanol per annum and 8 megawatts of electricity. Its operation, which started in 2008, was halted on February 19, 2021, due to the order of Gustilo after its effluent spilled again to certain waterways of the city going to the coastline and into the open sea. (PR)