The city council through the Environment Committee and other concerned offices in the city conducted an inspection on the open dumping of charcoal waste at Purok 1 and 2 in Barangay Mudiang and Sitio Lambo in Barangay Indangan, this city.
During the committee hearing last August 25, 2022, Kagawad Josefino Labandero of Barangay Mudiang said that an inspection was conducted in the river beside the property of Adrian Lambo at Sitio Lambo, Barangay Indangan where the dumping occurred. It was noted that the river turned black due to the particles of charcoal. Labandero also described the foul smell within 300 square meters of the property.
It was found in the investigation that the charcoal waste was hazardous and falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environment Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) 11.
The DENR confirms that the waste residue owned by Davao Bay Coconut Oil Mills Inc. (DBCOM) contained 20 percent edible oil which needs proper disposal.
First District councilor Temujin Ocampo, chairperson of the environment committee in his report during Tuesday’s (Feb. 28) regular session said that this matter is closed already after the penalty was imposed by the DENR-EMB to DBCOM for violation of Presidential Decree No. 1586 “Establishing and environmental impact statement system, including other environmental management related measures and for other purposes.”
The company also violated Republic Act 6969 or “toxic substances and hazardous and nuclear wastes control act of 1990,” and violation of Republic Act 9275 or “ The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004.”
Currently, the waste problem in the said area was already addressed after DBCOM collected the hazardous waste in Purok B and Purok 2-B in Barangay Mudiang.
The DENR-EMB, meanwhile, reminds all companies with industrial wastes that are considered hazardous should be disposed of properly to prevent ill effects on the environment and its residents. In the absence of proper disposal of hazardous waste, DENR-EMB said the company should seek the services of an accredited industrial and hazardous waste disposal company.
Ocampo also encouraged the public to immediately report such acts to the proper authorities to prevent future similar incidents.
Contributed Photo