By JEN BAYLON
The Environmental Management Bureau in Western Visayas (EMB-6) has issued a cease-and-desist order (CDO) against Binalbagan-Isabela Sugar Company (Biscom) following a molasses spill that threatens the Binalbagan River in Negros Occidental.
“Biscom is hereby ordered to cease and desist from discharging molasses in its perimeter canal, which ultimately leads to the Binalbagan River,” EMB-6 legal chief Wilma Lagance said, citing the CDO.
Lagance said the perimeter canal is “connected to the drainage canal of Barangay Canmoros, and that drainage discharges into the Binalbagan River.”
“The drainage canal will be cemented so that the flow of molasses to the river will stop,” Lagance said.
She said the CDO was served to Biscom on Wednesday, April 23, after being emailed to them the previous day.
“This CDO shall be effective only for seven days unless confirmed by the Pollution Adjudication Board. In such a case, the interim CDO shall become a regular CDO,” the order said.
The CDO stems from an investigation conducted on April 21, after the Philippine Coast Guard reported a molasses spillage incident at Biscom’s facility in Binalbagan.
The investigation revealed that on April 19, molasses overflowed from ponds 2A and 2B into a storm drain connected to the river.
“The perimeter canal of Biscom is actually intended for runoff, meaning it’s only for rainwater. It leaked into the perimeter canal,” Lagance said.
She said any discharge of molasses into the river is prohibited.
According to EMB-6, the molasses pond had a capacity of 6,000 tons but contained approximately 4,980 tons before the incident.
Only 2,400 tons remained after the spill.
While Biscom reported recovering 2,570 tons and estimating a loss of only 10 tons, EMB-6 said these figures are still subject to verification.
She clarified that Biscom’s operations can continue as long as there is no discharge of molasses into the river.
The EMB emphasized that the ongoing discharge and the use of a temporary molasses pond with unverified storage capacity pose an imminent threat to the Binalbagan River, necessitating immediate action.
Maillard reaction
In response to the incident, Biscom, in a statement, said the management immediately took swift action to contain and mitigate the situation.
“Following an internal assessment, our technical team identified the probable cause as a Maillard reaction — a chemical process involving heat, amino acids and reducing sugars in the molasses — which led to increased pressure and subsequent overflowing of molasses from our storage tanks,” Biscom said.
The company outlined the measures taken in collaboration with barangay captains and government agencies, such as interception and collection of foam stagnating in the river systems; application of biodegradable chemicals to neutralize odors; and ongoing river monitoring and clean-up operations in close coordination with the Philippine Coast Guard.
“We remain transparent in our actions and accountable to the communities we serve. We extend our sincere apologies to all who have been affected and will continue to work with urgency and diligence until the clean-up is complete,” Biscom said.
The company said they are committed to minimizing the environmental impact of this incident and ensuring full remediation of the affected areas.
Alarmed
Meanwhile, the Negrosanon Initiative for Climate and the Environment (NICE) expressed alarm at the reported molasses spill and urged Biscom “to urgently clean up the mess.”
“[The incident] has reportedly caused fish kills and has prevented the distribution of water to farmlands, which would disproportionately impact the livelihood of marginal fisherfolks and small farmers,” NICE said in a statement.
The group also called on the government, particularly regulatory authorities, to ensure strict compliance of big business on health, safety and environmental standards and strengthen the monitoring systems in place to avoid environmental catastrophes similar to this.
“We hope the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office will conduct a thorough and transparent investigation to ensure that big business is held into account for the environmental pollution that they have caused,” they said./JB, WDJ