DENR, PCG, other agencies to tackle waste dumping

MANILA, Philippines - Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon Paje yesterday said his office can only help define guidelines and determine the level of toxicity of chemicals in the case of the toxic waste supposedly dumped in Subic.

Paje said it is the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) that is mandated by law to enforce standards and regulations on water and marine pollution, including the discharge of wastewater by ships.

“This is what is provided for in the Clean Water Act. However, the DENR, through its attached agency, the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), particularly EMB-Region 3, will still be among the participants in a technical conference on Monday to discuss what can be done as to the alleged dumping of liquid waste by MT Glenn Guardian,” he said.

He said the EMB-Region 3 would look into what actions to take on the dumping of waste in Subic and would check its negative effects on marine life.               

EMB director Juan Miguel Cuna said joining the EMB in the conference are officials and representatives of the MT Glenn Guardian, PCG and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s Ecology Center.               

Environmental groups such as the EcoWaste Coalition have expressed alarm over the reported dumping by MT Glenn Guardian of toxic liquid waste collected from visiting US naval ship Emory Land.

As reported by the SBMA Ecology Center, EcoWaste Coalition said the MT Glenn Guardian of the Malaysia-owned Glenn Defense Marine Asia “dumped the untreated waste within the Philippine territory. Subsequent laboratory analysis of water samples by Subic Water and Sewerage Co. showed high level of toxicity.”