Hermosa Municipal Mayor Jopet Inton on Monday lambasted what he called a “one-sided article” published on a national daily about the ongoing investigation of the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (EMB DENR Region 3) on the violations of a private company operating the Hermosa Sanitary Landfill Facility.
Econest Waste Management Corporation President and CEO, Atty. Beulah Coeli Fiel claims: “The EMB Region 3 found no environmental violations of their company but only failed to submit certain post-Environmental Compliance Certificate documents and will be paying a fine of P50,000.00.”
“Fake news yan. Napaka iresponsable ng nagsabi at yung sumulat niyan ni hindi man lang kinuha ang panig ng LGU Hermosa. Kakasuhan natin yan ng paglabag sa RA 10591 o pagpapakalat ng fake news,” Mayor Inton told this reporter over a phone interview.
Mayor Inton said EMB-3 Regional Director Wilson Trajeco denied this statement and sent an official statement on the matter.
“During the adjudication of the environmental case of ECONEST with the issuance of Notice of Violation of the EMB 3, the Presiding Officer was able to ascertain that the ECONEST has environmental administrative violation in relation to the implementation of PD 1586 better known as Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System and Philippine Clean Water Act better known as RA 9275,” the official statement from the EMB-DENR Region 3 stated.
EMB further added, “For operating without Hazardous Waste Registration ID and Wastewater Discharge Permit respectively. Basis of which is the Report of Inspection submitted by the Office Inspector.”
“Sa ngayon, mas mahalaga pagtuunan ng pansin ang problema dulot ng COVID-19. Nagsalita na ang EMB at pinabulaan ang paratang ng Econest. Mahalaga ang buhay kaysa patulan pa yan. Take note this is only initial findings during the time of inspection and it does not manifest the previous operation,” Inton added.
At present, the EMB investigation is still ongoing on the other violations of Econest.
“Sa water sample result Econest, they also failed kasama rin yan sa ongoing investigation,” Mayor Inton pointed out.
Last February or this year, Mayor Inton padlocked the Hermosa sanitary landfill facility being operated by Econest for alleged violation of environmental laws.
Inton told the media that the said temporary closure order was contingent on the ongoing EMB proceedings.
Econest WMC was operating the sanitary landfill facility located in Brgy. Mambog under the public private partnership (PPP) scheme signed by both parties in 2017.