Govt suspends chemical firm for dumping toxic waste in Cavite - GMANews.TV

The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) on Friday issued a suspension order against hazardous waste management firm SOLCHEM Philippines Inc. (SPI) for illegal dumping of toxic waste in a private lot in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

Following a technical conference with officials of SOLCHEM and EMB-Region 4A director Allan Leuterio on Tuesday, EMB director Juan Miguel Cuna said the recommendation of the regional office is to suspend the company's transporter and treatment, storage and Disposal (TSD) registration certificates.

In the conference, SOLCHEM president and general manager Edwin Afzelius admitted to contracting a person identified only as "Boyong" to transport and store their partially treated hazardous wastes.

The company reportedly did not verify whether the individual actually operates a storage facility accredited by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The company said they did not also know the location of the facility.

Last week, a total of 63 drums of hazardous waste were recovered in Barangay Langkaan I in Dasmariñas.

Upon investigation, truck driver Ramon Olager said the drums came from the treatment facility of SOLCHEM Philippines in Las Piñas City.

With this action, Cuna said the company violated Republic Act No. 6969 or the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act.

He added, however, that the penalty for the company has yet to be determined.

?The temporary suspension of SOLCHEM?s TSD permits would mean that the firm is not allowed to transport and treat hazardous wastes until such time that the disposition that came up during the technical conference conducted between the EMB and SOLCHEM has been complied with," Cuna said. ? JMT/VS, GMA News

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Bid to clear Union Carbide plant toxic waste hits hurdle - Hindu Business Line

Bhopal, July 22:  The process of disposal of 346 tonnes of toxic waste lying at the defunct Union Carbide plant here has once again hit a road block with several groups protesting the dumping of this poisonous material at Nagpur in Maharashtra.

The decision to dispose of the toxic waste at a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) facility near Nagpur was taken after the unit evinced interest in it, as stated by former Union Environment Minister, Mr Jairam Ramesh, here on May 26.

Following this, the Madhya Pradesh High Court had also issued directives to the State Government as well as the DRDO to make arrangements for the transport and disposal of the toxic waste lying in the defunct factory for almost 27 years.

But opposition towards disposing of such a huge quantity of hazardous waste has irked some NGOs and activists here.

According to Ms Rachna Dhingra from ‘Bhopal Group for Information and Action’, an NGO, though the matter is sub-judice and will come up for hearing on July 28, the facility near Nagpur does not have mandatory clearances from Maharashtra Pollution Control Board for operating it.

Speaking to PTI, Ms Dhingra claimed that no facility in India is capable of disposing of such a toxic waste safely and demanded that it should be disposed of in any of the OECD (Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development) countries as they have a capacity to deal with such hazardous waste.

She also suggested that the cost of shipment of toxic material should be charged to Dow Chemicals, the current owner of the defunct plant at Bhopal.

Keywords: Bhopal, Union Carbide, toxic waste disposal, DRDO, NGO

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