• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has issued an Interim Cease and Desist order to the Binalbagan-Isabela Sugar Company (BISCOM) Inc., to stop discharging molasses from its perimeter canal which ultimately leads to a river in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental.
An order issued on April 22 by Atty. Ramar Neil Pascua, regional director of the DENR Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), said that Cease and Desist Order (CDO) shall be effective for seven days, unless it is confirmed by the Pollution Adjudication Board, or the Secretary, at that point it shall become a regular CDO.
Forester Lucia Salazar, supervising environment specialist of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office-Kabankalan, earlier disclosed that 50 percent of the 4,980 tons of molasses in the pond-type stockpile spilled into the Binalbagan River on April 19.
The molasses that spilled into the river affected the four barangays of Canmoros, Progreso, Marina, and San Juan, all in Binalbagan town, leading to a fish kill in one of the villages, according to Salazar.
However, according to EMB, the incident report of BISCOM stated that they were able to recover about 2,570 tons of spilled molasses, which puts the estimated loss at 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 cleanup 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 concerned government agencies and the municipal government of Binalbagan in minimizing the environmental impact of the molasses spill.
The BISCOM management further said it “immediately took swift action to contain and mitigate the situation, in close coordination with relevant authorities, including the municipal government, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, to implement a comprehensive cleanup and response plan.”
In coordination with the affected barangays and concerned agencies, 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 Coast Guard, and deployment of additional manpower assistance.
During their investigation of the molasses spill on April 21, Pascua said the sugar mill was operational and continuously producing molasses, which was stored in its molasses pond. Due to the current limited capacity, he added that BISCOM built a temporary pond with an unverified capacity to serve as an additional holding area for its molasses.
While collecting samples at the Binalbagan River, Pascua said the river was observed to have distinct foam and brownish coloration, indicative of contamination.
The discoloration of the river and increase in organic load correlates with reduced dissolved oxygen concentration, potentially causing fish kill and mortality among other aquatic organisms, he further said.
Pursuant to Section 8, Rule V of the PAB Resolution Number 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, Pascual said.
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 stressed.*
