• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
BISCOM (Binalbagan Isabela Sugar Company) yesterday said that it is collaborating with concerned government agencies and the municipal government of Binalbagan to minimize the environmental impact of the molasses spill from its storage tanks.
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.
The molasses spill into the Binalbagan River affected four of the town’s barangays, leading to a fish kill in one of the villages, according to Forester Lucia Salazar, supervising environment specialist of Community Environment Natural Resources Office (CENRO) – Kabankalan.
It affected the barangays of Canmoros, Progreso, Marina, and San Juan, all in the town of Binalbagan.
Following an internal assessment of the April 19 incident, BISCOM said its team identified the probable cause as a Maillard reaction, which is a chemical process involving heat, amino acids, and reducing sugar in the molasses, that led to increased pressure and the subsequent overflow of molasses from its storage tanks.
Salazar said 50 percent of the 4,980 tons of molasses in the BISCOM pond-type stockpile, spilled into the Binalbagan River, attributing it to the intense heat on April 19 that reached 43 degrees centigrade.
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 of Binalbagan, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to implement a comprehensive clean up and response plan.
In coordination with the affected barangay captains and government agencies, it said they have 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 PCG, as well as deployment of additional manpower assistance, with support from barangay officials and fisherfolks.
Binalbagan Mayor Alejandro Mirasol earlier said that the sugar milling company will be held liable for the molasses spill, with the penalties to be imposed to be determined by the Environment Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.*
