DENR: Stay of oil depots to derail Manila Bay rehab

MANILA, Philippines - Government efforts to cut the pollution levels at Manila Bay would suffer if an ordinance allowing oil depots to stay in Manila's Pandacan district is passed, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said. DENR Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Director Julian Amador said the Pandacan oil depot has “a significant threat to Manila Bay" despite being located near the Pasig River since “oil spills can also emanate" during the loading and unloading of petroleum products and could reach the bay area. “This objective will surely not be achieved if this ordinance will be adopted," Amador said in a position paper submitted to DENR Secretary Jose Atienza Jr. Excerpts of the report were posted on the DENR website. Amador said Manila Bay is among the areas being proposed by EMB to be declared as a “Non-Attainment Area" (NAA) by virtue of Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004. Also included were Pasig River and Laguna de Bay. The Clean Water Act provides that no new sources of pollution are to be built in NAAs unless there is corresponding reduction in discharges from existing sources, and the total pollution load from all sources including the new sources will not exceed the targets in the plan to upgrade the water quality as required by law. “Their water quality have already exceeded the desired water quality criteria intended for their beneficial use," Amador noted. He said that in Pasig River alone, the biological oxygen demand and dissolved oxygen concentrations have consistently failed to meet allowable criteria of 7 milligrams per liter (mg/l) and 5 mg/l, respectively for Class “C" waters used for the propagation and growth of fish and other aquatic resources. Amador cited the deteriorating air quality of Metro Manila, which has been designated as an airshed under section 9 of Republic Act 8749 or the Philippine Clean Air Act, would further worsen with the passage of the proposed ordinance which he called as “directly contrary to the intention" of the provision. “Furthermore, the proposed ordinance will further degrade the water quality of our water bodies without counting the negative impact to the air quality in Metro Manila," Amador said. - GMANews.TV