PCG looking into possible violation of company in Batangas chemical spill

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Wednesday said it is investigating the possible violation of the company involved in the chemical spill in Bauan, Batangas.

In a statement, the PCG said the Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog issued an Inspection Apprehension Report to the company for its violation in dumping of waste and other harmful matters.

The Inspection Apprehension Report has already been received for adjudication.

If proven that the company had negligence, it may face an administrative fine from P100,000 to P500,000 for every day during which the violation continues, according to the PCG.

On November 4, the PCG inspected the affected shoreline and discovered the chemical spill came from a facility that receives, stores, and distributes chemical products under a tank lease agreement.

Two drums of solvent Napha L (S100), an additive to paints and thinner products, had spilled from the facility, according to the PCG.

“It occurred during its loading at storage tank number 5 due to an untightened drain plug,” the PCG said.

“The containment area's control valve was also partially opened, causing the chemical substance to leak into the rainwater channel and eventually to the shoreline,” it added.

According to the Coast Guard District Southern Tagalog, the source of the spill was already shut off when the inquiry started. Chemical spill recovery operations were conducted.

The company coordinated with the barangay officials and the affected residents to resolve issues and concerns, according to the PCG.

More than 460 families were evacuated due to the chemical spill, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) said.

Some of the affected individuals experienced vomiting and sore throat amid the pungent stench in the area.

The evacuees have already returned to their homes.

According to the storage facility, the solvent leaked from a tank with an improperly sealed hole. The barrier in the depot was also elevated, causing the chemical to spill into the sea, it added.

“Kapag umuulan, ibinubukas din namin. Nakalimutang isara pero konting-konti lang naman. Halos noong ma-compute namin iyong aming loss almost one drum lang,” said Emil de Roxas, who was in charge of the depot.

(We open it when it's raining. We forgot to close it but only a little. Based on our computation, our loss was only about one drum.)

The Bauan local government has issued a closure order against the company that operates the depot.

While the PCG already controlled the leakage, swimming and fishing are still prohibited in the area due to the chemical spill. — Joviland Rita/RSJ, GMA Integrated News