• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Bais City in Negros Oriental is now under a state of calamity due to the wastewater spillage from the Universal Robina Corp. (URC) ethanol facility, which already affected about 3,000 hectares of the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape, based on the data of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Tañon Strait is a feeding, breeding, and nestling ground for marine mammals, and home to different fish species, mollusks, and crustaceans.
In a resolution approved on Oct. 31, the Bais City Council said the consequences of the disaster has severely impacted the economic stability and livelihoods of local fishermen and others relying on aquatic resources.
In issuing the calamity declaration, the Bais City government cited the “contamination of coastal waters and the degradation of various marine ecosystem at North Bais Bay”.
Before that, Mayor Luigi Goñi ordered the URC-Sugar and Renewables (SURE) distillery plant to immediately cease operations to prevent further damage to the eco-marine life within the Tañon Strait.
The wastewater spillage has affected 17 barangays of Bais City and the neighboring Manjuyod town.
Manjuyod Mayor Raffy Andaya earlier ordered the immediate suspension of activities at the Manjuyod White Sandbar due to water discoloration.
The Environmental Management Bureau-Negros Island Region issued a cease-and-desist order as well as a notice of violation to the distillery for discharging wastewater and maintaining a structure without clearance from the Protected Area Management Board.
In a statement, the URC-SURE management said it is working closely with the DENR, local government units, and environmental officials for “immediate containment, proper cleanup, and full compliance with environmental standards.”
“While the company has been vigilant and diligent about the integrity of its lagoon, the unusually heavy and relentless rains and the series of earthquakes led to this unfortunate incident,” it added.
“We are committed to building climate-resilient and robust lagoon walls, taking into full account the changing environment and the need to keep our surrounding communities safe.”
The incident occurred after the 20-hectare tailings pond of the distillery collapsed, spilling molasses wastewater into the Tañon Strait. | GB
