THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has issued a cease-and-desist order to CDO Foodsphere Inc. for failing to address the foul odor emanating from its manufacturing plant in Malvar, Batangas.
Such failure to address the problem, which started last year, is a violation of the company’s environmental compliance certificate, regulators said.
The CDO dated September 26, 2019, was issued by the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in Region 4A against the company, which operates a 60,000-square meter manufacturing plant in Malvar town. The facility produces more than 93,000 metric tons of processed meat products a year.
The latest order was received by CDO Senior Vice President Arnold Alvarez. The company has 15 days from receipt to file a motion for reconsideration with the EMB-Calabarzon.
In stopping the operations of the CDO Malvar plant, the EMB-Calabarzon Regional Director Noemi Paranada cited the “foul odor” emanating from its rendering area and wastewater treatment facility, which “causes environmental impacts and poses nuisance to public health and safety.”
She said the CDO Malvar plant was found to have violated Presidential Decree 1586 or the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System and DENR Administrative Order 2003-30, particularly Condition No. 13 of the ECC.
An ECC is issued as a Certificate of Environmental Compliance Commitment, to which the proponent conforms after the EMB explains the conditions.
Under Condition No. 13 of its ECC, CDO agreed that when the implementation of its project causes adverse impacts to the environment or poses a nuisance to public health and safety, it “shall immediately suspend its operation until such time that appropriate remedial measures are affected.”
Prior to the issuance of the cease-and-desist order, the EMB issued a notice of violation. It ordered CDO to conduct corrective measures pertaining to the foul odor as early as October 2018, which the company failed to do.
In August this year, the EMB-CALABARZON received complaints from concerned citizens that the CDO plant continued to emit an unpleasant smell in the afternoons until evening. The complaints were validated by a team sent by the EMB-Calabarzon. “This is alarming considering that CDO produces food products,” Paranada explained. She added the wastewater discharge goes to Alulod River then to Taal Lake.
2 comments
Pati nga trucking company contractor ng CDO eh dapat din ma-inspection kung talagang malinis para sa consumer safety conditions. Thank You.
Sir, please isama din Po sa inspection iyong nga trucking contractor ng CDO, kung malinis ang kanilang nga truck at nga gamit, para sa kapakanan ng consumer, kasi napapansin namin na hindi nila nililinis ang loob ng freezer truck, sa loob at sa labas. eh para din po sa kapakanan namin tumatang kilik sa kanilang producto. Thank you po.