By JEN BAYLON
A major molasses spill has impacted four barangays in Negros Occidental’s Binalbagan town, resulting in a fish kill in the river near Barangay Canmoros.
Forester Lucia Salazar, supervising environment specialist of the Kabankalan City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro), said the spill affected Barangays Canmoros, Progreso, Marina, and San Juan on April 19, when extreme heat, reaching around 43 degrees Celsius, caused the rupture of the molasses stockpile pond owned by the Binalbagan Isabela Sugar Company (Biscom).
Salazar confirmed that the molasses overflow reached the river systems of the affected barangays.
The stockpile initially contained approximately 4,980 tons of molasses, but only 2,400 tons remained after the spill.
“This means more than 50 percent of the molasses spilled,” Salazar said.
She noted that a fish kill was observed in Canmoros, where birds were seen feeding on dead fish floating on the water.
The fish kill was reported to be limited, and most local fishermen, who typically fish in the bay rather than the river, were not severely affected.
“The case was admitted by Biscom that their pond-type stockpile of molasses became moist,” Salazar said.
The Kabankalan-Cenro collected the spilled molasses on Monday, April 21, but it could not be completely prevented from reaching the river.
“We will send the water samples to Iloilo for analysis,” Salazar said.
The samples were placed in a proper, safe location.
They also placed sandbags on the stockpile to stop further spread.
Several Bantay Dagat personnel helped contain and clean the affected river areas.
In a statement, Biscom said they are taking the matter very seriously and are committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents and the environment.
“Upon learning of the spill, we immediately coordinated with the management to address the situation and mitigate any potential impacts,” Biscom said.
The company said containment measures have already been implemented to limit the spread of the molasses.
“We will actively work on cleanup and recovery efforts to restore the affected area immediately,” it said.
Biscom promptly collected as much of the spilled molasses as possible and installed sandbags to prevent further contamination of the river.
To mitigate environmental damage, bioenzymes were applied to the river to reduce the molasses’ odor and accelerate decomposition.
“We assure the community that we are closely monitoring the situation. The health and safety of our residents and the preservation of our natural resources remain our top priorities,” Biscom said.
Meanwhile, Binalbagan Mayor Alejandro Mirasol assured residents that the spill is now under control.
Mirasol emphasized that Biscom will be held accountable for the incident, pending the results and directives of the Environmental Management Bureau.
The Pollution Adjudication Board will also determine any penalties to be imposed on the sugar central./JB, WDJ