Govt closes eight companies for violating water law

MANILA, Philippines - Eight companies in Valenzuela City were ordered closed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for violating the Philippines’ Clean Water Act of 2004. Global Trends Laundry Services, Inc., Snack and Joy Corp.; Sodeska Food Corp., Pinnacle Foods, Suncrest Food Corp., Evergreen Textile, Artos Textile, and Pantone Finishing Corp. were closed after officials recommended the filing of charges before the Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB). Water samples collected from these companies’ facilities indicated that these discharges failed to comply with effluent standards set under the Clean Water Act, DENR Assistant Secretary Mark Allan Jay G. Yambao said. Analysis of wastewater discharges showed oil, grease, as well as high levels of suspended solids. Besides discharging effluents into a nearby creek, Global Trends Laundry Services Inc. was discovered to have been operating a wastewater discharge facility without a valid permit, Yambao said. The said creek flows into the Manila Bay, causing fish kill in the area. - GMANews.TV