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Negros wastewater spill affects 19 barangays
A collapsed dike at a distillery in Bais City, Negros Oriental, caused a wastewater spill that has affected 19 coastal barangays and covered 3,000 hectares of the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape.
The wastewater, identified as industrial wastewater from molasses processing and not just ethanol, flowed into Bais Bay, leading to a fishkill and displacing fisherfolk in 10 villages in Bais and nine in Manjuyod.
The Environment Management Bureau-NIR has issued a cease-and-desist order and a notice of violation to the distillery for discharging wastewater and operating without clearance.
Both Manjuyod and Bais City have declared a state of calamity due to the incident.
The distillery has ceased operations and is working on repairing the dike, targeting completion by Tuesday, to contain the spill.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources has advised the public against fishing or gathering marine life in the affected areas.
International marine conservation group Oceana is calling for accountability from the company and concerned government agencies for the ecological and economic crisis.
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