Environmental NGO SEEDS PH on Thursday called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and local government units (LGUs) to implement laws barring the operation of environmentally destructive illegal lead smelters and recyclers of used lead acid batteries.
SEEDS PH said in a statement that it continues to receive reports from its members and volunteers in several cities and municipalities that some lead smelters continue to operate even if they do not have the permits and licenses required by the DENR and LGUs.
“Operating without permits and licenses shows that their facilities and manner of operation do not conform with the regulations set by the government, making them hazardous to the environment and the health of surrounding communities,” the group said.
The Federation of Philippine Industries has made a similar appeal to the DENR in a letter sent earlier to Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga.
SEEDS PH received reports that illegal lead smelters and ULAB recyclers are operating clandestinely in Tarlac, Cavite, Valenzuela, Manila, and San Simon, Pampanga.
The group said that in San Simon, the municipal government recently padlocked anew the illegal lead smelting facility of Energetically Battery Manufacturing inside the Global Aseana Business Park in Barangay De La Paz.
Energetically Battery, along with Chilwee Metallic Manufacturing Corp. and Ecoseal Metallic Manufacturing Corp., has been slapped with cease and desist orders for operating shabby lead smelting and ULAB recycling facilities that do not meet the requirements of national and local laws.
The municipality of San Simon continues to monitor these illegal smelters and has caught them removing the padlocks and closure orders pasted on their gates.
“We commend Mayor Abundio Punsalan Jr. and the concerned municipal department heads for their vigilance against these smelters, which have been found to have polluted already the river beside Global Aseana Business Park,” SEEDS PH said.
A DENR-accredited laboratory tested the river and showed that a few meters away from Global Aseana’s discharge point, almost 70 percent of the 23 parameters that were measured already showed contamination.
According to the group, cadmium and nickel were present in the waters, which can cause cancer and liver failure. The presence of lead in the water has already gone up to an alarming level and this could cause diseases in the kidney, heart, and blood, they said.
It said the Biochemical Oxygen Demand and Chemical Oxygen demand have considerably shot up, while the dissolved oxygen and water pH dropped tremendously, which are clear signs of water pollution and could trigger fish kills.
The group alleged that this may have been caused by the dumping into the river of electrolytes from used lead acid batteries that contain sulphuric acid and other toxic chemicals.
SEEDS PH also urged voters to refrain from supporting in the coming elections the local government executives who are allowing these environmentally destructive smelters to operate in their localities.
“A vote for these remiss officials is a vote against the environment and the people’s health and welfare.”
