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EMB slaps fine on piggery for foul smell, untreated wastewater

By John Rey Saavedra

May 9, 2019, 8:15 pm

 

CEBU CITY – The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in Central Visayas on Thursday said it has ordered a piggery farm in Pinamungajan, Cebu to pay a fine of PHP150,000 for spreading foul odor in the neighborhood and discharging wastewater to a nearby river.

EMB-7 Regional Director William Cuñado said he accompanied the field personnel last May 2 in conducting a final assessment on the complaint received by his office.

Environmental probers found out that the establishment, Excelsior Farms, Inc. in Sacsac village in Pinamungajan town, violated Republic Act 9275, the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004; and Presidential Decree 1586, or the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System, he said.

A statement sent to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) said that EMB-7 received complaints from residents in the area because of wastewater discharges that has caused pollution and discoloration of the waters in Ulbujan River.

Residents also complained about the foul odor around the farm’s neighborhood, it said.

“EMB 7 field personnel conducted investigation on April 12, 2019 to verify the alleged complaint and to conduct sampling to the nearby surface waters,” the statement read.

On April 23, EMB-7 probers surveyed the area, conducted wastewater sampling and checked the farm’s odor mitigating measures.

It was on May 2 that Cuñado personally accompanied the investigators and saw violations of the existing environmental regulations set by the state.

After a thorough discussion on the case in a “technical conference,” the management signed a “commitment sheet” to pay the fine of PHP150,000. The EMB-7 gave the management until May 21 to pay the fine.

The piggery management also committed “to solve or minimize the pollution problem in their area” within a specific period set by the EMB-7.

The farm also promised to remove the wastewater stored beneath their buildings which is believed to be the cause of the offensive odor. The wastewater will be treated through a “biodigester”.

Likewise, the management pledged to avail services of a third-party hauler that will remove the wastewater on a daily basis, and to construct a sand filter that will remove sludge in the wastewater.

EMB-7 said it required the farm officials to submit a daily progress report of their environmental protection activity to lessen the adverse impact of their establishment to the neighborhood.

According to the agency, failure to comply with the agreed measures within the given period “will result to an additional penalty of PHP50,000 per day of operation and/or issuance of a Cease and Desist Order (CDO)”. (PNA)

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