CLARK FREEPORT – The Clark Investors and Locators Association (CILA) has expressed apprehension over a possible environmental emergency in the Clark Freeport Zone – the closure of the wastewater treatment plant here.
This, after the Environmental Management Bureau’s (EMB) warned Clark Water Corporation (CWC) that their Temporary Discharge permit may not be renewed when it expires on October 30, 2021.
In a letter dated October 25, 2021 addressed to CWC and copy furnished Clark Development Corporation (CDC) and CILA, EMB’s Wilson Trajeco stated that the Temporary Discharge Permit (TDP) will only be renewed if CWC continues working on their current project site to meet effluent standards.
If the TDP is not renewed when it expires this October 30, a Cease and Desist order will be issued and CWC’s Wastewater Treatment Plant will be closed.
This means that each Clark locator will be responsible for their wastewater disposal, disposing their wastewater in accordance with the General Effluent Standards – or face penalties, the CILA said.
No locator in Clark is equipped to manage its own wastewater, so they will all have to close down if this issue does not get resolved before the October 30 deadline, according to CILA.
CDC, CILA and CWC held an emergency meeting on October 28 to discuss this looming problem and come up with a plan of action for different eventualities. In the meeting, CWC assured CILA and CDC that they will meet the building permit requirements and secure an extension of the TDP to prevent this emergency from happening.
CWC General Manager Christina Cruz promised to do everything they can to meet the extension requirements of EMB.
CDC President Retired General Manuel Gaerlan says they will use all means available to them including legal and appeals to other government agencies connected to EMB, to make sure that the locators will not face this challenge of having no wastewater treatment in Clark.
CILA Chairman Ireneo “Bong” Alvaro is urging the EMB to resolve the matter expeditiously and thanked CDC for supporting the stand of the locators for affordable and clean water.
“We are wondering why EMB is so concerned about CWC’s completion of the new WWTP when a proof of compliance from CWC should be enough. Why is EMB so concerned about the building permit to be issued by CDC? This is already an encroachment of CDC function,” Alvaro said.
CILA President Jeannie Del Rosario Ng said EMB’s letter to CWC has caused undue anxiety among the biggest investors in the Clark Freeport with their threat of the WWTP closure. This is the second time this year that the EMB has threatened to issue a Cease and Desist Order (CDO) to CWC, she said.
“This constant threat does not help in boosting investor confidence and help in maintaining a business-friendly regulatory environment in the zone. If CWC says they have passed the water sampling of discharged water done by EMB, why are they being threatened with another CDO and non-renewal of discharge permit? Shouldn’t the discharge permit be based on passing the discharge or effluent standards only and not on any building plan?,” she said.
