BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Western Visayas has opened an investigation on the alleged environmental violations of the San Carlos Bioenergy, Inc. (SCBI) which operates a bio-ethanol plant in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.
A team led by Engineer Paul Wellen Orosio from DENR Region 6’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) is in San Carlos City collecting water samples from ponds, creeks, coastline, and the Tañon Strait.
With officials from the City Environment Management Office, the team would also gathered samples of the wastewater from the bio-ethanol plant.
Orosio said San Carlos City’s Mayor Renato Gustilo personally asked the DENR to probe the alleged water pollution.
SCBI is expected to halt operations today after the two-day allowance granted it to process the remaining sugarcane it has in stock.
Gustilo denied SCBI’s request to resume operations until the company is able to solve recurring pollution issues./PN
