• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has issued an interim cease and desist order (CDO) for Binalbagan-Isabela Sugar Company (BISCOM) Inc. to stop discharging molasses in its perimeter canal, which ultimately leads to a river in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental.
In an order issued on April 22, Ramar Niel Pascua, regional director of the DENR- Environment Management Bureau (EMB), said the CDO “shall be effective for seven days, unless confirmed by the Pollution Adjudication Board or the Secretary, which shall become a regular CDO”.
Forester Lucia Salazar, supervising environment specialist of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office-Kabankalan, earlier said that 50 percent of the 4,980 tons of molasses in the pond-type stockpile spilled into the Binalbagan River on April 19.
The incident affected four barangays, including Canmoros, Progreso, Marina, and San Juan.
BISCOM stated in its incident report that they were able to recover about 2,570 tons of spilled molasses while the estimated loss was only 10 tons.
In a statement, BISCOM apologized to all who have been affected as it vowed to continue working with urgency and diligence until the clean-up is complete.
Following an internal assessment of the April 19 incident, BISCOM said its team identified the probable cause as Maillard reaction, which is a chemical process involving heat, amino acids, and reducing sugar in the molasses that led to increased pressure and subsequent overflowing of molasses from its storage tanks.
It added that they are collaborating with the concerned government agencies and the municipal government of Binalbagan in minimizing the environmental impact of the molasses spill.
The sugar mill reported that it has initiated some measures, including the interception and collection of foam stagnating in the river systems, application of biodegradable chemicals to neutralize odors, ongoing cleanup operations in close coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard, and deployment of additional manpower assistance.
Pascua said that during their investigation of the molasses spillage on April 21, the sugar mill was operational and continuously producing molasses, which were stored in its molasses pond.
Due to the current limited capacity, BISCOM built a temporary pond, with an unverified capacity to serve as an additional holding area for its molasses.
While samples were being collected at the Binalbagan River, the water was observed to have distinct foam and brownish coloration indicative of contamination.
The discoloration of the river and increase in organic load correlate with reduced dissolved oxygen concentration and may potentially cause fish kill and mortality among other aquatic organisms, Pascua further said.
Pursuant to Section 8, Rule V of the PAB Resolution 2021-04, “an interim CDO may be immediately issued where there is a prima facie evidence that the emission of discharge of pollutants constitutes an immediate threat to life, public health, safety or welfare, or to animal or plant life, or greatly exceeds the allowable DENR standards”.
The ongoing discharge from the facility, together with the continued operation of BISCOM, and its reliance on a temporary molasses pond with unverified storage capacity pose an imminent and substantial threat to the Binalbagan River, which circumstances necessitate immediate action to prevent further environmental harm, he added. | GB
