Cease and desist order issued against Binalbagan sugar mill

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BACOLOD CITY — The Environment and Management Bureau in Region 6 (Western Visayas) has issued a seven-day cease and desist order (CDO) against Binalbagan-Isabela Sugar Company (Biscom) in the aftermath of molasses spill that affected at least four villages in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental.

With order, the sugar mill has been refrained from releasing the molasses to its perimeter canal.

Lawyer Wilma Lagance, head of the EMB-6 Legal Department, said on Thursday that the order is effective April 22 but the interim CDO was personally delivered to Biscom on April 23.

Lagance said it will depend on the Pollution Adjudication Board (PAB) if it will extend the CDO.

She said the canal inside the sugar mill has a pond with a perimeter wall connected to the drainage canal of Barangay San Vicente that flows to the Binalbagan River.

It is prohibited to release molasses through the river, she said, adding that the molasses spill was caused by the intense heat.

Before the CDO was issued to Biscom, the EMB already issued a notice of violation to the company.

The sugar mill continues to operate but the collection and releasing of molasses is temporarily stopped, Lagance pointed out.

The molasses spill, that occurred on April 19, affected Barangay Canmoros, Progreso, Marina and San Juan.

The management of Biscom, Inc., in a statement, apologized for the incident and promised to work double-time to address the issue.

"We extend our sincere apologies to all who have been affected and will continue to work with urgency and diligence until the clean-up is complete. Biscom is committed to minimizing the environmental impact of this incident and ensuring full remediation of the affected areas," the firm said.

The sugar mill management said that after an internal assessment, its technical team identified the probable cause as a Maillard reaction.

It explained that it is "a chemical process involving heat, amino acids, and reducing sugars in the molasses, which led to increased pressure and subsequent overflowing of molasses from our storage tanks."

"We will continue to work transparently with all stakeholders and provide updates as our clean-up efforts progress. We remain transparent in our actions and accountable to the communities we serve," the sugar mill said.

It said on April 24 that it is collaborating with concerned government agencies and the municipal government of Binalbagan in minimizing the environmental impact of the molasses spill.

Forester Lucia Salazar, supervising environment specialist of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office-Kabankalan, earlier said "50 percent of the 4,980 tons of molasses in the Biscom pond-type stockpile spilled into the Binalbagan River."

Mayor Alejandro Mirasol said that the sugar milling company will be held liable for the molasses spill, with the penalties to be imposed to be determined by the DENR-EMB.

"Right now, our focus is on cleaning the contaminated waters," Mirasol said in a statement.

"Afterward, the LGU will hold further talks with Biscom and representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR)," he said.

Although the situation is now under control, Mirasol said that Biscom would still be held liable for the spill.

The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) said operations had begun to collect and dispose of the foam-like substance that surfaced in the river, with containment barriers also being installed to limit the spread.

"To aid in dilution, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) approved the release of water from the Pangiplan River Irrigation System, the Binalbagan local government said.

A similar request was made for the release of water from the Marikudo Dam, which flows through the Guintubhan River into the affected area.