PCG traces Subic pollutant to port terminal drain
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — While the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) awaits laboratory results from water samples collected after a foul-smelling substance surfaced off a beach resort last week, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Saturday (July 25) it had identified the pollutant as leachate and traced its suspected source to a drainage system linked to the Subic Bay International Terminal Corp. (SBITC).
According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, leachate is a contaminated liquid formed when rainwater or other liquids percolate through decomposing waste. It can contain dissolved chemicals, organic matter, heavy metals, and other pollutants that may contaminate soil, groundwater, and nearby rivers, lakes, or coastal waters if not properly collected and treated.
The PCG findings came after the foul-smelling floating substance resurfaced off All Hands Beach Resort on Friday, prompting personnel from the Coast Guard’s Marine Environmental Protection Unit (MEPU) in Zambales and Coast Guard Sub-Station Olongapo to conduct an ocular inspection and shoreline survey.
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According to PCG reports, it observed traces of the substance being discharged from a drainage system at 1:35 p.m. on Friday.
Spill response materials were immediately deployed and containment measures were implemented to prevent further contamination.
Investigators later coordinated with representatives of the SBITC and inspected surrounding areas within the facility to determine the source and nature of the discharge and assess its possible environmental impact.
Based on its investigation, the PCG identified the substance as leachate and said the suspected discharge pathway was the SBITC drainage system.
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The PCG said the leachate was allegedly coming from refrigerated containers under the custody of the Bureau of Customs (BOC), although it stressed that the finding remains subject to further verification and validation.
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The Coast Guard estimated that about 350 square meters of coastline had been affected.
Responding personnel issued a land-based inspection certificate and recommended that the BOC immediately identify and remove any leaking refrigerated containers to prevent further discharge and environmental contamination.
Meanwhile, the SBMA Ecology Center said its inspection team confirmed that the floating foamy scum was being discharged through Canal 2 into adjacent marine waters.
The agency said it immediately inspected nearby facilities to determine the possible impact of the discharge on marine water quality and directed the concerned party to implement interim containment and mitigation measures.
These included preventing further wastewater discharge, installing filtration measures at the drainage outlet, deploying floating containment barriers to limit the spread of contaminants, and recovering the floating scum for proper disposal.
The Ecology Center said it continues to monitor the affected area while conducting a thorough investigation to determine the source and cause of the discharge.
It added that appropriate enforcement action would be taken if violations of environmental laws, regulations or permit conditions are established.
The latest developments came nearly a week after resort personnel reported a foul-smelling, gelatinous substance floating near the shoreline of the resort, prompting the SBMA Ecology Center and Subic Water to collect seawater samples for laboratory analysis.
At the time, the SBMA said it could not determine the source of the floating material and said laboratory results were expected within 15 days. Those results have yet to be released.
The recurring pollution has renewed attention on a long-running dispute between All Hands Beach Resort and the SBMA over persistent foul odors in the area.
The resort earlier filed a lawsuit against the SBMA, alleging that foul odors from 118 overstaying refrigerated cargo containers at the Port of Subic had adversely affected its operations, driven away guests and caused financial losses.
According to the resort, the liquid leaking from some reefer containers produced a persistent stench that discouraged beachgoers and resulted in booking cancellations and refund requests.
It also said that despite repeated complaints, the odor problem persisted.
The BOC earlier said that at least 10 containers were removed while the remaining containers were undergoing forfeiture and disposal proceedings.
Under its charter, the SBMA is mandated to manage, operate and develop this freeport including protecting and preserving its environment.
In its complaint, All Hands argued that the agency failed to adequately address the persistent foul odor despite repeated reports, while the SBMA has maintained that the overstaying containers are under the custody of the BOC.
Both the PCG and SBMA said their investigations are continuing. /das