The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has mobilized a team with partner government agencies and local government units (LGUs) to contain and assess the impact of a massive wastewater spill in Bais City, Negros Oriental.
Some 255,000 cubic meters of molasses wastewater that leaked into Bais Bay on Oct. 26 from the Universal Robina Corporation (URC) ethanol distillery plant are posing a serious threat to marine life within the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape.
Bais has declared a state of calamity.
“Initial water quality assessments conducted by the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) indicate low levels of dissolved oxygen in affected waters, a condition that may cause fishkill and other adverse impacts on aquatic ecosystems,” according to a DENR news release on Saturday.
The DENR said its regional offices and EMB are working closely with the Philippine Coast Guard, local governments, and Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Central Visayas (BFAR-7).
BFAR has issued an advisory prohibiting fishing, collection and consumption of aquatic products from the affected areas pending further assessment.
The spill happened after the dike of Lagoon 6 of URC’s settling pond collapsed, releasing approximately 90 percent of its spent wash content into nearby waters. It resulted in visible discoloration in North Bais Bay, which is within the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape.
URC pledged to complete repairs to the breached dike by Nov. 4, provide relief aid to affected communities, and support an ecological damage assessment with local institutions, such as Silliman University.
A technical task force composed of experts from DENR, EMB, BFAR, Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB), and local partners will conduct hydrodynamic modeling and environmental impact studies to guide rehabilitation.
The DENR said it will conduct a comprehensive review of URC’s Environmental Compliance Certificate and other related permits, while the BMB continues regular water quality monitoring and evaluation.
As warranted by law, the DENR will initiate administrative, civil, and criminal proceedings against responsible parties.
The BMB will also coordinate with Sukat ng Kalikasan experts to undertake the economic valuation of environmental damages and assess long-term impacts on the Tañon Strait coastal and marine ecosystems.
Sukat ng Kalikasan (measurement of nature) is a joint initiative of the DENR and the United States Agency for International Development’s Sustainable Interventions for Biodiversity, Oceans, and Landscapes (SIBOL) Project, which includes natural resources and biodiversity conservation experts.
On Nov. 5, DENR-7 and Negros Island Region will convene the executive committee of the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape Protected Area Management Board to determine immediate priorities, outline rehabilitation strategies, and ensure the sustained protection of the affected areas.*PNA