SteelAsia Manufacturing Corp. said Sunday it would take legal action against the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI) for what it described as “illegal, baseless and unscientific” accusations linking the company to 23 containers of allegedly hazardous zinc dust.
The steel manufacturer strongly rejected a PNRI order directing it to take custody of the containers, saying it has no connection to the materials, which it said did not originate from any of its facilities.
The zinc dust was exported by Zannwann International Trading Corp. and had been rejected by Indonesia in late September, which ordered the materials returned to Zannwann. Zannwann is known to source zinc dust from various steel producers for export.
SteelAsia accused the PNRI of wrongfully identifying the company as the source of the supposed radioactive materials without following international nuclear safety protocols or conducting the required scientific verification.
The company alleged that the PNRI cleared Zannwann of any liability while singling out SteelAsia.
Despite what SteelAsia claims is a lack of evidence, the PNRI ordered the company to entomb the 23 containers within its Calaca, Batangas plant.
SteelAsia warned that this directive could endanger nearby communities and other industrial locators if the materials were indeed radioactive, as the company stressed it lacks the technical capability and legal authority to handle radioactive waste, a responsibility that falls solely with the PNRI under Philippine law.
The company reiterated that its steelmaking process does not use or generate radioactive materials, producing only non-hazardous by-products such as zinc dust.
SteelAsia noted that all scrap metals used in its operations are routinely tested for radioactivity, with no positive readings ever recorded, and its radiation monitoring systems are regularly calibrated under PNRI supervision.
SteelAsia pointed to the PNRI’s own data, noting that Zannwann also sources zinc dust from other firms, including Cathay Pacific Steel and Real Steel, yet the PNRI singled out SteelAsia without what the company described as any scientific or factual basis.
The steel firm warned that the PNRI’s flawed findings prompted the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to suspend operations at its Calaca scrap recycling plant, which it described as one of the country’s most advanced and environmentally sustainable steel facilities.
SteelAsia said it had already suspended operations voluntarily out of caution following earlier discussions with the PNRI, while maintaining that there are no radioactive materials at the site.
The company warned that the PNRI’s actions could cause irreparable harm to the Calaca industrial zone, displace thousands of workers and derail local economic growth.
SteelAsia said it is ready to engage international radiation experts, particularly from Japan and Western countries, to independently assess the matter and help clear its name.
 over "illegal, baseless, and unscientific" accusations linking it to 23 containers of allegedly hazardous zinc dust. The company denies any connection to the materials and rejects a PNRI order to take custody.){kind=link}