Food establishments ordered closed for wastewater violations

BY BEVERLY T. NATIVIDAD, BusinessWorld Reporter Two food establishments in Quezon City were issued closure orders by the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) following the failure of both firms to maintain respective wastewater discharges within the standards set by law. In separate cease-and-desist orders, LLDA general manager Casimiro Ynares III ordered the closure of fastfood chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) Acropolis, Libis branch and the commissary of Pampangueño restaurant Cabalen in J.P. Rizal, Quezon City. Both food firms operate in the vicinity of and dump wastewater to the Laguna de Bay, which falls under LLDA’s jurisdiction. Both firms were found to have exceeded Clean Water Act standards on pollution indicators such as the bio-oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), pH level, chemical oxygen demand (COD), color of water and the presence of oil and grease. Cabalen’s closure order is actually a reimposed cease-and-desist order. Mr. Ynares said in an interview that the LLDA had already ordered the closure of the Cabalen commissary in March 2005 due also to water pollution violations. He said the commissary was given a provisional permit to operate in April last year but had still failed to install their own wastewater treatment plant to ensure that wastewater emissions meet the standards. The LLDA, thus, decided to reimpose the cease-and-desist order. "We have given [Cabalen] several notices in more than a year. Since they still exceeded the wastewater standards, we think it’s only right to reinstate the cease-and-desist order," said Mr. Ynares. For its part, Cabalen’s Administration Chief Roniel Sison said Cabalen already has a wastewater treatment plant within the vicinity of the commissary. They argued that during the LLDA raid, the plant was, in fact, in its one-hour "rest mode." "We will clarify with Mr. Ynares that we complied with the LLDA requirements. We were caught unaware by the raid but we are already operating the plant. It just so happened that, at that time, the machine was [being rested]," said Mr. Sison. He explained that the machines in the plant actually operate for four straight hours and then are rested for one hour. Mr. Sison said Cabalen started to build its wastewater treatment facility five months ago due mainly to LLDA’s first cease-and-desist order. He said the commissary has only been operating the plant for a month. KFC Libis, on the other hand, was also found to have exceeded lawful wastewater standards in terms of the BOD, COD, pH level and oil and grease content of its effluents. Mr. Ynares said that in the one-year monitoring of the LLDA at the restaurant site, KFC was found to have exceeded the effluent standards five times. "Despite opportunities granted to respondent to abate/control the pollutive wastewater discharges, it continues to discharge wastewater not conforming to the effluent standards causing damage to the environment," said the LLDA closure order. BusinessWorld tried to get the explanation of KFC Management, but the latter had refused to give its side. The closure of KFC and Cabalen Commissary brings to seven LLDA’s recent issuances of cease- and-desist orders due to water pollution cases at the Laguna Lake. Last month, LLDA had also ordered the closure of the factory of "Boy Bawang" manufacturer KSK Food Products in Caloocan City for wastewater violations. CFF Piggery Farm in Morong, Rizal, Pajanel Container in Muntinlupa City, Aclem Paper Mills in Laguna, and Max’s Restaurant in Quezon Avenue were also slapped with cease-and-desist orders for similar violations. LLDA’s jurisdiction spans nine of 17 towns in Metro Manila.- Report from BusinessWorld