SP Investigates: Holcim Coal Spill Reveals Other Environmental Issues

By: Jane T. Flores, GPC

In the continuing investigation conducted by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP)

pertaining to the coal spill of Holcim Cement Plant at Barangay Quirino in Bacnotan, La
Union, the SP Committee on Environment and Energy conducted a committee hearing
last Wednesday, August 15, 2018, which were attended by representatives from Holcim
La Union Plant, DENR, PENRO, Municipal Assessor of Bacnotan and a Resource
Speaker in the person of Mr. Ruben A. Guieb, scientist, environmentalist and worked as
State Regulator for the State of California on Water Quality and Beneficial Uses of the
Jurisdictional Waters of the State.

The representative from Holcim made a brief presentation as to the activities

undertaken by the company after the ocular inspection conducted by the members of the
same committee on July 31, 2018. He mentioned that they have practically retrieved 99%
of spilled coal and that is about a little less than the 17,000 MT of coal from the stockpile
of 40,000MT. He also presented the water sample analysis report from it’s commissioned
a DENR-accredited water testing company, CRL Environmental Corporation and came
out that the level of heavy metals was lower than the set standard by the DENR. However,
on the total suspended solid, test reveal high on the third day after the incident but was
gradually decreasing until the last days of July, 2018. The solid coal sample analysis
report was likewise presented and came out that elements like Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead,
Mercury and Selenium were ND or Not Detected as per analysis report.

Said plant likewise initiated a dive to determine the extent of damage of the coal
spill to the marine life and how much coal was washed to the sea and was deposited into
the seabed. Said commissioned dive was spearheaded by the Municipal Fisheries and
Aquatic Resources Management Office of LGU Bacnotan, Darigayos Coastguard and
fisherfolks of said community. The dive was conducted on August 7 and 8, 2018, at 50m
towards the east, west and southern portion of the sea from the cove for the first day and
150m again from 1st day’s last point, covering 2500sqm.Based from the dive’s footage,
there were pieces of coal scattered sporadically on the seabed.

The PENRO – La Union mentioned that the spilled coal based on their
investigation was about 2 truckloads and were scattered to about 214sqm of the shoreline
of Sitio Bagbag. The DENR EMB representative on the other hand made a clearer
presentation through an aerial video footage of the area and the mountains therein. He
explained through a schematic illustration of what happened that caused the erosion and
eventually the washing away of the coal to the sea. He mentioned that their office already
issued a Notice of Violation to Holcim Plant Inc. (HPI) – Bacnotan, La Union for violating
Sec. 27 R.A. 9275 Philippine Clean Water Act also of the provisions of the conditions of
their Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) particularly under 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6. A
technical conference was likewise conducted together with the Regional Director of the
DENR. HPI made among others commitment to clean up the shoreline and rehabilitate
the affected areas. The detailed content of the notice of violation will be furnished the
committee.

PENRO Valdez pointed out the provisions of RA 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act
of 1995 and its Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations on the role of LGUs in
mining projects, which provides that there should be representative of the LGU in the
Multi-Partite Monitoring Team and the Rehabilitation Fund Committee, however, currently
the membership of the said team and committee does not include a representative from
the PGLU. Board Member Reynaldo M. Mosuela underscored that it should be the PGLU-
PENRO to inform the Governor and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for proper
representation and coordination with the appropriate agencies. It was then clarified by the
representative of HPI –LU that Holcim Mining Development Corporation (HMDC), which
is responsible for the mining operation is a different entity from Holcim Philippines – LU,
which is for the cement manufacturing. HMDC is the owner of the area which was leased
by HPI-LU to stockpile its 40,000MT coal.

From the discussion, it was also informed that the 40,000MT of coal was stockpiled
in the said open ground area and was not covered at all since March, 2018, awaiting for
the completion of the construction of the covered warehouse until July 31, 2018. Thus,
the drainage canal were all temporary and were no longer concreted since the stockpile
will be transferred to the covered warehouse upon its completion.

Mr. Guieb elaborated on some observations such as the stockpile was placed in
an open ground with no matting at all to protect water quality in the aquifer. He mentioned
that there are standards on stockpiling of minerals that contain toxic elements or
associated therewith when stockpiled on earth. According to him there should be some
layering that must be done so that these toxic elements thereon will not leach in the
aquifer. This was earlier pointed out by the Honorable Bellarmin A. Flores II, who was
quite alarmed when it was informed that the coal was stockpiled at said open ground area
since March, 2018. He insisted that a water testing should also be done to the
underground waters of the community from the expertise of DENR.

Mr. Guieb, disclosed from a scientific point of view regarding the head water or the
source of the flashflood. He theorized that there could be an open pit or a portion in the
mountain that accumulated such hydraulic force to have flushed out such big volume of
coal. Regular trickle of rainfall according to him could not normally flushed down such
volume of coal from that distance of 150m from the stockpile area. He recommended that
Holcim and DENR should study the hydrology or the movement of water in that area,
especially so that the stockpile area is part of the mining area of HMDC. Such hydrological
study would the basis thereafter of any environmental measure to lessen catastrophic
impact that might be caused by 5 or 10 or 50- year or more flood-storm.
“When we talk about the impact of the coal spill to the marine environment, what
is most significant is not this one incident, but the continued erosion that’s taking place at
the Holcim area, where they haven’t managed the hydrology of the place while they are
doing ground disturbance like how many pits are they making and sediments that are
produced,” Mr. Guieb exclaimed. He is saddened upon viewing the dive footage that there
were no fish, nor corals and starfish but only red seaweeds and few seagrass. He said
that these seaweeds and absence of live corals thereof is a clear indication that the place
had already suffered many years.

He mentioned that he came across a material saying that La Union in the Northern
Region is the last remaining fringing reef because of the presence of solid substrate that
we have in the province. He stated that corals need solid substrate to grow on but if the
area is subjected to heavy siltation, corals cannot grow.

He commented about the water sample tests that were shown earlier by Holcim
and DENR that conformed to the standards. He said that the real bad thing about pollution
is its load or its bio accumulation, which in essence, little things are thrown into the ocean
but through time they bio load or gets accumulated. It is for these reasons that a
monitoring study or a continuing research in terms of the load of the by-products or
pollution caused by the company, which is the main concern of the MMT. But he likewise
cautioned that the government through its environmental experts should participate in the
research, which will be commissioned by the company to ask the right questions that are
focused on reviving marine life in the area and not only for the sake of the company.

Learning from various sides of the issue, the Chairperson, Hon. Francisco “Kit” C.
Ortega, Jr. committed that the Joint Committees will continue its investigation,
recommend possible sanctions to appropriate authorities and formulate measures on how
the welfare of the people are protected from the hazards of this and similar companies,
whose operation causes pollution to the environment.

With the above discussions, the Committee recommended among others for
securing the copy of the ECC of both HMDC and HPI-LU as well as their respective
environmental impact studies (EIS), which will serve as basis thereof for further
recommendation and/or investigation; and to recommend to the Honorable Governor that
the representation of the PGLU in the MMT and the Rehabilitation Fund Committee be
immediately asserted through appropriate coordination with DENR-EMB.