- GILBERT BAYORAN
The intervention and assistance of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is being sought on the molasses spillage and foul odor that occur at the Victorias Milling Company water treatment facility, affecting residents of Victorias City.
This was stipulated in a resolution authored by Councilor Dino Acuña, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, and unanimously approved by the SP during its regular session this day.
Acuña said that the increased heat in the VMC molasses tank caused the leakage of about 1,875,000 liters or 3,000 metric tons of molasses May 5, with several metric tons flowing into the Malihaw River and causing environmental damage and issues to the seashores of coastal barangays 6-A, 9, and 13, all in Victorias.
The recovered molasses that were disposed of into the sugar milling company water treatment facility emitted unpleasant and rancid odor, and affected residents.
Acuña said the foul odor exposed Victorias residents to possible pulmonary and other damaging health risks.
During the recent legislative inquiry conducted by the Victorias SP, VMC officials said that it will take a month and one week to address the foul odor. Acuña said this is unacceptable to the people of Victorias.
VMC officials, who apologized for the incident, presented action plans and countermeasures to mitigate the impact and potential damage to the local community, which include neutralizing the pH (acidity) levels of the sugar refinery’s waste and wastewater treatment plant.
The Victorias SP also unanimously approved another resolution authored by Acuña that requests the Victorias City Legal Office to explore, study, recommend, and file all possible legal actions and remedies against VMC, for the molasses spillage that resulted in the contamination of the Malihaw River, and the spread of rancid odor affecting 11 barangays of Victorias since May 16, in violation of the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1991, and Clean Water Act of 2004, among other related environmental laws.
During the May 24 legislative inquiry, Acuña said that several legislative measures were formulated to ensure that there will be no such eliminating and degrading acts against the natural resources of the city and the environment that shall happen in the future.
A similar resolution approved by the SP urges Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez to forge a memorandum of agreement with the VMC, relative to their rehabilitative actions to address the molasses spillage, which include mitigating, contingency, and control measures, both in short and long term plans, river and cleanup activities, community service and assistance plans, and other measures that can help alleviate the suffering of Victoriahanons, brought about by the continued spread of the rancid odor.
The Task Force Bantay Molasses Spill, organized by Benitez, reported that, as of May 26, there was no improvement in the pH level of five wastewater treatment ponds of VMC, although the sugar milling company increased their liming application and caustic soda chemicals.
The pH level must reach at least 6.5 to reduce the foul odor caused by hydrogen sulfide gas, from its present levels ranging from 5.05 to 5.94, as per report of the task force./GB
