EMB PROBES BATAAN PAPER MILL FOR ALLEGED WATER POLLUTION

BY KEVIN GALANG

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Region 3 Office is conducting an investigation into complaints that a big paper mill plant had discharged  polluted water into a waterway in agricultural areas of Samal, Bataan.

EMB Region 3 director Martin Jose Despi, in text messages to reporters, said they inspected and collected samples in areas suspected to be affected by water from Bataan 2020 Inc. Paper Mill’s lagoon.

He said ocular inspections and gathering of effluent samples were conducted last June 5 and 11, in coordination with the Samal local government. 

Despi said they are still waiting for the result of the laboratory wastewater analysis to determine the quality of discharge.

A source told reporters that Samal Mayor Alexander Acuzar made the initial inspection of farmland in his town on June 5 after receiving complaints from his constituents and found dark gray water in the area.

Last June 6, the mayor issued a cease-and-desist order against Bataan 2020 Inc..

The EMB Region 3 said that Bataan 2020 halted its operation on June 8.

A source said some 70 to 80 farmers in four villages around the Bataan 2020 plant were affected by the dark-color and smelly water coming out from the paper mill’s lagoon.

“The water flows down the river and might even affect even the sea,” the source added.

Reporters have tried to get comments from Bataan 2020 through the company’s email and Facebook messenger but have not yet received any response as of this posting.