DENR seeks evidence vs Clean Water Act violators in Boracay

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BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO City – “Pag-hindi sila nag-connect, goodbye.”

This was Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional director Jim Sampulna’s warning to hotels and resorts in Boracay not connected to the island’s sewerage system.

DENR-6 started inspecting the sewerage connections of Boracay establishments in July in coordination with the local government of Malay, Aklan.

The inspection may last until December this year. Sampulna described the job as “meticulous.”

Inspectors have to dig the ground to check the connections, he explained.

“We are establishing evidence (of connection),” said Sampulna.

Section 7 of Malay’s Municipal Ordinance No. 307 prohibits any person or entity from discharging untreated wastewater and sewage into any body of water within or around Boracay Island and its drainage system.

Violators will be fined P2,500 or imprisoned for one day to six months.

DENR, on the other hand, may revoke the Environment Compliance Certificate (ECC) of establishments for violation of the Clean Water Act of 2004.

The Act prohibits the discharging or dumping – directly or indirectly – into bodies of water “material of any kind…which could cause water pollution or impede natural flow in the water body.”

It also prohibits the “unauthorized transport or dumping into sea waters of sewage sludge or solid waste.”

“Pag-hindi sila nag-connect (to the island’s sewerage system), goodbye. Nag-usap na kami ng DOT (Department of Tourism). DOT said if they found the resorts guilty, it will cancel their certificates of accreditation. On our part, DENR will cancel their ECCs,” said Sampulna.

On the other hand, the local government of Malay will cancel the erring resorts’ business permits.
“What will happen? Close (sila),” said Sampulna.

A project and/or establishment that poses potential significant impact to the environment is required to secure an ECC – a document issued by DENR certifying that based on the representations of the proponent, the proposed project or undertaking will not cause significant negative environmental impact.

The ECC contains specific measures and conditions that the project proponent has to undertake before and during the operation of the project, and in some cases, during the project’s abandonment phase to mitigate identified environmental impacts.
The ECC also certifies that the proponent has complied with all the requirements of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) System and has committed to implement its approved Environmental Management Plan.

DENR-6 has so far inspected “30 percent” of hotels and resorts in Boracay, according to the director.
He declined to identify these establishments and the results of the inspection but he said their managements have been summoned to a technical conference.

DENR will also be inspecting households in Boracay but for now the focus is on the hotels and resorts.
“Very serious” was how Sampulna described the wastewater problem in Boracay prior to the installation of sewerage treatment plants in the island. One of these treatment plants is being operated by Boracay Island Water Company (BIWC) partially owned by the DOT – Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority and a private corporation.

Wastewater should first be treated at BIWC’s sewerage treatment plant before it is released to the sea.
Untreated wastewater was causing algal blooms in Boracay Island, a research of DENR-6 last year showed.
It was a repeat of a previous research that had similar results, said Sampulna.

The recurring appearance of green algae in Boracay’s otherwise white-sand beach has raised concern on the safety of tourists and the island’s ecological health.

Algae are attracted to untreated wastewater, said Sampulna.

He specifically cited soap and detergents in untreated wastewater being flushed out to the sea.

Sampulna did not discount the possibility that some establishments and residences may be dumping untreated wastewater into the sea.
During the months of February to May each year, water in some areas of Boracay appears green. According to the Boracay Foundation, Inc., however, this is due to the seasonal bloom of green algae.

This phenomenon had been observed by the locals even before Boracay became a prime destination flocked by tourists and crowded with development, it stressed./PN
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