Local government officials and residents of communities situated in Bais Bay’s sprawling coastline expressed concern that Typhoon “Tino” might cause an ethanol-molasses waste spill in its waters to spread over a larger swath.
As of yesterday, the wastewater spill has already caused widespread damage to marine life in the Tañon Strait, turning the once-clear waters murky red.
Contaminants were released when a portion of Universal Robina Corporation’s (URC) Sugar and Renewables (SURE) distillery plant containment dike collapsed on October 26.
Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Assistant Director Maria Dorica Naz-Hipe said that the food and beverage conglomerate faces fines of up to P500,000 a day for the environmental disaster its facility is causing.
“They have an Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC), but based on the latest monitoring, there were also violations of its conditions. The penalties under that law are determined by the regional office,” she told Bilyonaryo.
Naz-Hipe explained that, unlike oil spills, molasses mixes with water, making containment far more painstaking.
She noted that the spill has already caused an estimated 12 tons of fish kills in the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape.
Hundreds of fishermen have also lost their livelihoods when the government declared a temporary ban on fishing and the consumption of marine life in affected waters.
Also, tourism activities in the Municipality of Manjuyod, highlighted by the popular sandbar and dolphin-watching tours, have been suspended until the waters clear.
Bais City Mayor Luigi Marcel Goni said the distillery’s management has been ordered to cease operations until the company can repair its damaged dike, to prevent further environmental harm caused by a leaking containment lagoon.
In a statement over the weekend, the URC management stated that it would finish patching up the damaged dike by today (November 4).
“At present, 127 personnel, supported by 20 Coast Guard members, are engaged in the repair of the collapsed section of the lagoon of Bais Distillery. The work is now 60% complete and is projected to be finished by November 4, 2025. The new dike will be reinforced and strengthened with rubber tires and boulders to make it withstand the relentless rains and earthquakes that caused its breach,” the company wrote.
As this developed, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) Negros Island Region (NIR) arm said URC’s wastewater containment facility may have been defective from the start.
DENR-NIR Regional Director Charlie Fabre said the dike’s wall should have been at least 1.2 meters taller to cope with the highest tide in these waters.
Likewise, Melvin Alfaras of the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals group, AGHAM NIR, said the dike was less than 1.5 meters tall and made of concrete to prevent spillage into the bay.
“With an estimated volume of 300,000 cubic meters of wastewater released to the Bais-Manjuyod Bay, all the way to Tañon Strait, it would take months to recover. Meantime, fish kills and other destruction to marine species continue,” he stressed.
The URC said it has been providing for the needs of the families affected by the spill and committed to “continue to do so until the situation goes back to normal.
Meanwhile, the DENR’s Public Information Division-Strategic Communication and Initiatives Service told Manila Standard that the agency was not ready to conclude that URC had committed any violation leading to the wastewater spill in Negros Oriental.
