Batangas farm owners warned not to dump wastes into rivers

By Saul Pa-a/PNA

BATANGAS CITY — Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) on Saturday warned livestock farm owners in the Batangas against dumping wastes into rivers.

Lawyer Maria Paz G. Luna, DENR Calabarzon Executive Director, said the agency stands by its mandate to file charges against erring farm owners and impose daily fines on violators upon receipt of the violation notice.

She also underscored that business compliance is not merely securing their discharge permits but more importantly on establishing their farms with “real, existing and functioning waste water treatment facilities.”

Luna said this is to ensure their farms would not pollute any stream, river or body of water.

She said the DENR-Calabarzon is also conducting technical conferences in other provinces in the region in compliance with Secretary Roy A. Cimatu’s directive to revive, protect and conserve bodies of water like the waters off Boracay and now the Manila Bay.

Ann Hazel D. Javier, DENR Calabarzon Regional Public Affairs Office chief, said the DENR has been pushing dor environmental protection and conservation priorities amid violations by establishments and dumpsites that have breached solid waste management and clean water acts.

“Nagpatawag ng pagpupulong ngayong araw ang DENR Calabarzon para sa mga nabigyan ng notices of violation na livestock farms sa probinsiya ng Batangas (the DENR Calabarzon has called for a meeting for livestock farm owners in Batangas province who were served notices of violation),” Javier told reporters.

She said the gathering of livestock farm owners and administrators at the Batangas Convention Center aims to address the wanton disposal of solid wastes and effluents into rivers and streams.

She said owners of livestock farms have been given 30 days to comply with the provisions of Republic Act 9275 or “Clean Water Act” which provides a comprehensive water quality management and other purposes and Republic Act 9003 or the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.”