The operations of Universal Robina Corp. (URC) Bais Distillery in Bais City, Negros Oriental, remain suspended until the Environmental Management Bureau -Pollution Adjudication Board (EMB-PAB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources lifts its suspension order.
DENR-Negros Island Region executive director Charlie Fabre told the Philippine News Agency Dec. 17 that it is the PAB that has the authority to decide whether the distillery can resume operations.
Fabre said the firm has lodged an appeal with the PAB for the lifting of the suspension order against the Bais Distillery, which is currently under review.
“The Secretary (Raphael Lotilla) asked me last Monday when I was at the DENR Central Office in Manila about the status of the URC wastewater spill after URC directly filed their appeal there,” Fabre said.
“The PAB is now reviewing whether to lift the suspension with the imposition of penalties, and until then, the distillery cannot resume operations, otherwise, more violations will be filed against them without the PAB clearance.”
It has been almost a month-and-a-half since the distillery was shut down after a huge volume of spent wash spilled into the Tañon Strait after a breach in the wall of the 17-hectare containment lagoon Oct. 26.
The environmental disaster caused water discoloration, fish kills, damage to corals and other marine life, and displaced thousands of residents and businesses dependent on the sea for their income and livelihood.
The URC has provided livelihood assistance to the fisherfolk and businesses affected by the spill while working closely with local and national government agencies and private entities in addressing the damage.
Meanwhile, the Bais City Prosecutor’s Office held its preliminary investigation last week into the complaint filed by the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape against the distillery for violations relative to the wastewater spillage, Fabre said.
The complaint for the violation of Republic Act 11038, or the Expanded NIPAS (National Integrated Protected Area System) Act of 2018, was lodged Nov. 21.
Fabre said some violations included operating without a permit and dumping wastewater into the Tañon Strait without a Special Use Agreement in Protected Areas.
Meanwhile, the DENR-NIR chief said the latest water analysis of the EMB-NIR showed high levels of dissolved oxygen (DOD) in the area that was polluted by the spill, Fabre said.
The DOD, an important water quality indicator of marine/aquatic life, had dropped to low levels early on in the spill.
Fabre said an assessment of coral damage is still being carried out at the spill area. ||
