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Technical Assistance Consultant’s Report
This consultant’s report does not necessarily reflect the views of ADB or the Government concerned, and ADB and the Government cannot be held liable for its contents. (For project preparatory technical assistance: All the views expressed herein may not be incorporated into the proposed project’s design.
Project Number: 47144-001 August 2016
REGIONAL: Mitigation of Hazardous Waste Contamination in Urban Areas: Supporting Inclusive Growth (Financed by the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction)
(Appendix G [1 of 2])
Prepared by Pure Earth Blacksmith Institute New York, USA
For Urban Development and Water Division, SERD, ADB Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Indonesia Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippines
Pure Earth
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APPENDIX G
STRATEGIC URBAN REDEVELOPMENT
PLAN, PHILIPPINES
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TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................................................... 2
LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................................................ 4
LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................................... 5
PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THIS GUIDEBOOK .................................................................................. 7
I. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 8
II. The Urban Redevelopment Concept ............................................................................................... 9
III. Operational Framework .............................................................................................................. 10
IV. Setting-up the Stage for Site-Specific Remediation and Redevelopment ............................ 11
Stakeholder Identification and Analysis ........................................................................................... 11
Capacity Building Workshops, IEC Campaigns, and Alternative Livelihoods Program ......... 13
Policy Review and Agenda Setting ................................................................................................... 17
V. The Ramcar Remediation Plan ....................................................................................................... 20
General Steps ........................................................................................................................................ 20
Step 1: Preliminary Site Assessment .................................................................................................. 21
Site Description ................................................................................................................................. 21
Surrounding land use of the site .................................................................................................... 26
History of operation ......................................................................................................................... 30
Prior assessments and remediation ............................................................................................... 32
Potential Pathways ........................................................................................................................... 37
Step 2: Primary Site Investigation ...................................................................................................... 38
Sources of Contamination: legacy contamination due to ULAB recycling operations .......... 40
Pathways and Routes of Contamination ...................................................................................... 42
Receptors & Health Effects ............................................................................................................. 43
Step 3: Expanded Site Investigation for Potential Remediation .................................................... 46
Step 4: Remedial Design ...................................................................................................................... 47
Remedial Alternatives ..................................................................................................................... 47
General Evaluation and Analysis of Remediation Alternatives ................................................ 52
Key Considerations in Pursuing Remediation of the Pilot Site ................................................. 54
VI. The Ramcar Redevelopment Plan .............................................................................................. 57
The Planning Process ........................................................................................................................... 57
Redevelopment Design Options ........................................................................................................ 58
Community Consultations and the Preferred Redevelopment Option ....................................... 60
Specific Redevelopment Objectives ................................................................................................... 64
Planning Considerations ..................................................................................................................... 65
Location of Contaminated Areas and Level of Contamination ................................................. 65
Linkages and Accessibility .............................................................................................................. 67
Land Use Development ................................................................................................................... 67
Market Requirement ........................................................................................................................ 71
Feasibility of the Redevelopment Plan .............................................................................................. 78
Implementation Strategies, ................................................................................................................. 80
VII. Financing Options ........................................................................................................................ 84
Synthesis: Urban Redevelopment Towards Inclusive Growth ......................................................... 88
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
AFI ABS-CBN Foundation Inc
ADB Asian Development Bank
AAS
BLGF
BLL
BOA
BOD
BPO
CDC
Atomic Adsorption Spectroscopy
Bureau of Local Government Finance
Blood Lead Level
Brownfield Opportunity Area
Biological Oxygen Demand
Business Process Outsourcing
Center for Disease Control
CLUP Comprehensive Land Use Plan
CSR Corporate Social Responsibility
DAO
DBP
DENR Administrative Order
Development Bank of the Philippines
DENR Department of Environment and Natural Resources
DENR-EMB R3
DOF
DOH
DPWH
EIA
EIS
EMB
ENRO
EPA
GEF
FASPO
DENR Environmental Management Bureau Region 3
Department of Finance
Department of Health
Department of Public Works and Highways
Environmental Impact Assessment
Environmental Impact Statement
Environmental Management Bureau
Environment and Natural Resources Office
Environmental Practitioners Association
Global Environment Facility
Foreign Assisted and Special Projects Office
FMSI
HDPE
IEC
IT
LGU
First Metal Specialists Inc.
High Density Polyethylene
Information, Education and Communication
Information Technology
Local Government Unit
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LSI
MDF
MDFO
MMORS
MOA
NGA
NGO
Lead Smelter Inc.
Municipal Development Fund
Municipal Development Fund Office
Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando River System
Memorandum of Agreement
National Government Agency
Non-government Organization
NLRC North Luzon Railway Corporation
OMC Oriental and Motolite Corp.
PBSP
PD
PEZA
Philippines Business for Social Progress
Presidential Decree
Philippine Economic Zone Authority
PNR Philippine National Railroad
PPM
PRI
RA
SMP
SWOT
Parts Per Million
Philippine Recyclers Inc.
Republic Act
Soil Management Plan
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunity Threats
TA
TCLP
Technical Assistance
Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure
THW
TRI
TSD
Toxic and Hazardous Wastes
Toxic Release Inventory
Treater, Storage and Disposal
ULAB
UNDP
USEPA
VAT
NPMCC
WQMA
Used Lead Acid Battery
United Nations Development Program
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Value Added Tax
National Poison Management and Control Center
Water Quality Management Area
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. The process in formulating the strategic urban redevelopment plan ................................ 10
Table 2. Top 3 ranked potential alternative livelihood options in Barangays Caingin, Lingunan,
Bancal, and Tugatog ................................................................................................................................. 16
Table 3. Registered Tanneries and Gold Smelting Business Establishments, 2015. ....................... 29
Table 4. RAMCAR Recycling Plants Lead Production per annum (ILMC, 2005) ........................... 31
Table 5. Blood lead levels and median IQ scores of children in Barangay Bancal, 2010 ............... 44
Table 6. Relationship of current socio-economic and health status of households in Barangays
Bancal and Tugatog in relation to THW contamination ..................................................................... 45
Table 7. Estimated Volume of Soil to be Excavated from the Pilot Site
Table 8. Summarized Remediation Alternatives Review ................................................................... 53
Table 9. Summarized Remediation Alternatives Evaluation ............................................................. 54
Table 10. Area of land for each redevelopment option ...................................................................... 59
Table 11. Summary of highlights of the consultation meetings ........................................................ 61
Table 12. Excavation work for the Ramcar redevelopment ............................................................... 66
Table 13. Land use distribution for the planned Ramcar redevelopment ....................................... 69
Table 14. Existing residential projects in Meycauayan City ............................................................... 72
Table 15. Residential development product offering for the Ramcar Site ....................................... 73
Table 16. Commercial establishments near the Ramcar Site .............................................................. 74
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Table 17. Volume of Soil to be Excavated based on the Proposed Ramcar Site Redevelopment
Table 18. A survey of IT and BPO companies in Bulacan province .................................................. 76
Table 19. Commercial development product offering for the Ramcar Site ..................................... 77
Table 20. Particulars of the lifestyle mall and the BPO, IT, government offices ............................. 77
Table 21. Profit and loss for the proposed residential development ................................................ 78
Table 22. Profit and loss of the proposed commercial and institutional development ................. 79
Table 23. Types of Incentives throughout the Remediation-Redevelopment Process……………80 Table 24. Existing Philippine Laws with Provisions for Incentives………………………………...81 Table 25. Financing Wndows under the Muncipal Development Fund…………………………...85
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Strategic Urban Redevelopment Framework ........................................................................ 9
Figure 2. Stakeholder matrix for the Ramcar Strategic Urban Redevelopment Plan ..................... 13
Figure 3. Outcomes of the Capacity Building Workshops and IEC Campaign .............................. 14
Figure 4. Consolidated policy development agenda for THW mitigation ...................................... 18
Figure 5. The step-by-step process in remediating THW contaminated sites (Adopted from
Asante-Duah, 1996) .................................................................................................................................. 20
Figure 6. MMORS Water Quality Management Area ......................................................................... 22
Figure 7. Regional location of RAMCAR showing the major tributaries of MMORS ................... 24
Figure 8. Land ownership profile of the site. ....................................................................................... 25
Figure 9. Location of the former ULAB site. ......................................................................................... 26
Figure 10. Frontage along MacArthur Highway (left) and establishments across the road of the
Ramcar Site (right) .................................................................................................................................... 27
Figure 11. Properties to the left side of the Ramcar Site ..................................................................... 27
Figure 12. Figure 9. The Hollywood Suites is 3 lots away from the Ramcar Site (left) where
lightweight and micro establishments can be found next to it (right) ............................................. 28
Figure 13. Establishments across the road of the Ramcar Site ........................................................... 28
Figure 14. Property to the right of Ramcar (right) and the view to the north of commercial
development that is mostly lowrise ....................................................................................................... 28
Figure 15. Land use of surrounding environment of RAMCAR ....................................................... 29
Figure 16. Tanneries and gold smelting establishments near the Meycauayan River ................... 30
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Figure 17. Historical site information .................................................................................................... 32
Figure 18. Scoping work including soil sampling ............................................................................... 32
Figure 19. Lead levels on surface soil surrounding the former ULAB in Meycauayan City ........ 33
Figure 20. Lead levels of soil taken at 0.25 m ....................................................................................... 34
Figure 21. Lead levels of soil taken at 0.50 m ....................................................................................... 34
Figure 22. Removal of battery casing used in the informal settlers’ housing (top) and the IEC
workshop (bottom) .................................................................................................................................. 35
Figure 23. TCLP results of lead in soil collected inside the facility ................................................... 36
Figure 24. Baseline Lead levels on surface soil at the PNR property adjacent to the former ULAB
..................................................................................................................................................................... 37
Figure 25. Decision process used to screen for the chemicals of potential concern in the impacted
environmental matrices ........................................................................................................................... 39
Figure 26. Lead levels on surface soil at PNR property after remediation ...................................... 41
Figure 27. Lead levels on surface soil at the PNR Property in November 2014 .............................. 42
Figure 28. Conceptual diagram of lead contamination in children .................................................. 43
Figure 29. The Ramcar redevelopment planning process .................................................................. 58
Figure 30. Redevelopment options for the Ramcar Site ..................................................................... 59
Figure 31. Total land area of the preferred redevelopment option, the north and south
expansion ................................................................................................................................................... 62
Figure 32. SWOT Analysis of the planned redevelopment concept ................................................. 63
Figure 33. Ramcar redevelopment planning objectives ...................................................................... 64
Figure 34. Activities during the operation of the ULAB facility ....................................................... 65
Figure 35. Areas to be excavated and depth of excavation ................................................................ 66
Figure 36. The planned redevelopment showing the four access points ......................................... 67
Figure 37. Land use development in the site and access points ........................................................ 68
Figure 38. Massing diagram of the planned Ramcar redevelopment (top view) ........................... 70
Figure 39. Massing diagram of the planned Ramcar redevelopment (aerial view from the east) 70
Figure 40. Massing diagram of the planned Ramcar redevelopment (view from MacArthur
Highway) ................................................................................................................................................... 71
Figure 41. Massing diagram of the planned Ramcar redevelopment (south side view) ............... 71
Figure 42. Existing commercial areas near the Ramcar Site ............................................................... 75
Figure 43. Location of IT parks, BPOs, and PEZAs in the region ..................................................... 76
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PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THIS GUIDEBOOK
Urban land use planning is an important policy and development agenda in urban areas.
Within the framework of a comprehensive and inclusive urban land use plan is environmental
management that needs to take into account the different environmental issues in urban areas,
especially toxic and hazardous waste contamination, as influenced by the wide range of drivers
and pressures of urbanization. Toxic and hazardous waste contamination in urban areas in the
Philippines is especially difficult to control and, throughout history, has inevitably led to
contaminated lands after industries ceased to operate. This guidebook focuses on the
management of contaminated lands in urban areas in the Philippines through remediation and
redevelopment of a selected pilot site in Meycauayan City in Bulacan Province.
Strategic urban redevelopment is the planning for the revitalization of contaminated lands in
urban areas with the aim to deliver social, economic, and environmental benefits from an
otherwise idle and unutilized land. This is coupled with site remediation or the clean-up of
toxic and hazardous waste contaminants from the soil as informed by the potential
redevelopment options. This guidebook details the step-by-step process of the strategic urban
redevelopment plan of a contaminated site in the Philippines, including conceptual and
practical experiences and considerations in designing the redevelopment plan of a former lead
acid battery recycling site in Meycauayan City, Bulacan. This is intended to be a reference
handbook for local government policy makers, different levels of government agencies,
industries, and consultants working on contaminated sites.
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I. Introduction
Urbanization in many municipalities and cities in the Philippines is driven by economic-
oriented development and policy agenda. The phenomenon is interlinked with changes in
market and population dynamics. Urban growth, in particular, is characterized by the
conversion and expansion of land to commercial and industrial uses. Urbanization is primarily
an environmental discourse because of issues in resource extraction and waste volume
discharge resulting to, for instance, toxic and hazardous waste (THW) contamination.
Industrial sources of THW pollution include the untreated discharge of heavy metals from
manufacturing operations, which may pose serious health and environmental impacts. The
Philippines has enacted Republic Act No. 6969 or the ‘Toxic Substances and Hazardous and
Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990’. The implementing rules and regulations of this law (DAO
92-29) detail the different involved actors and groups, including their duties and roles, in the
stages of the use of toxic and hazardous substances in industries. It is a good law about the
proper handling and documentation of toxic and hazardous substances during industry
operations, but fails to give strategies on how these regulations could effectively prevent THW
pollution, that is, through enforcement and compliance.
In many cases for industries located in urban areas, there is very low motivation to invest in
proper THW treatment and disposal as evident in the nation-wide identification and
preliminary assessment of contaminated sites done by Blacksmith Institute/ Pure Earth in 2011.
Pure Earth, formerly Blacksmith Institute, has been tasked by the Asian Development Bank
(ADB) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to undertake the
technical assistance (TA) “Mitigation of Hazardous Wastes Contamination in Urban Areas:
Supporting Inclusive Growth”. The TA generally aims to improve environmental management
of industrial activities in urban areas of the Philippines through urban redevelopment.
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A pilot site was selected to fully implement the strategic urban redevelopment plan and
comprehensively document the institutional, capacity building, and policy dimensions of the
plan. The site identified, known as the Ramcar Site, is located in Meycauayan City in the
province of Bulacan. It is a former lead acid battery recycling facility that operated in the area
for more than 20 years. Soil analyses by various organizations including Pure Earth and the
Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) show levels of lead (Pb) contaminants within the
vicinity of the site. Soil contamination is further confirmed by interviews of former employees
and nearby residents about the industry’s operation from the 1970s to 1990s. While it is
currently a fenced private property divided into parcels with different owners, the fact remains
that when it was closed down, no remediation and clean-up was conducted due to the absence,
during that time, of a policy or regulation to guide the proper closure of facilities that deal with
regulated hazardous materials such as lead.
II. The Urban Redevelopment Concept
Urban redevelopment is a long-term planning process coupled with a scientifically sound and
cost-efficient remediation plan. The strategic urban redevelopment framework follows a
benefit-based concept grounded on the holistic understanding of the dynamics between the
environmental, social, and economic conditions of the idle and contaminated site (Figure 1).
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The framework illustrates how contaminated lands could negatively impact economic
competitiveness, human health, and environmental services. Contaminated lands pose health
risks to the population, disrupting the delivery of better ecosystem services and limiting
economic competitiveness. On the other hand, redeveloping offers improvement towards
favorable environmental, social, and economic conditions emphasizing that investment can be
motivated by targeting a set of desirable benefits. Clean up and redevelopment of contaminated
sites in urban areas help improve the well-being of the people, provide opportunities to
enhance economic growth, and revitalize environmental health. The redevelopment of the site
into dynamic uses can improve public safety, leverage private investment, offer jobs, and
increase local tax base.
Sound assessment of remedial and redevelopment options are informed by inclusive and
participatory consultations with the local government, the community, government agencies,
and private developers. During which consultations, institutional and organizational capacities
are strengthened, policies were formulated to mainstream THW management in urban areas,
and interventions would fit to better serve both the communities’ and the private’s interests.
This guidebook is primarily divided into three main sections: the preliminary remediation plan,
the redevelopment plan, and the financial challenges and financing options. These are the
fundamental components necessary to formulate and implement the strategic urban
redevelopment of the Ramcar Site in Meycauayan City, Bulacan Province. Assessments,
workshops, and campaigns conducted for the remediation, redevelopment, and financing
options were inextricably interrelated and were done simultaneously.
III. Operational Framework
This strategic urban redevelopment plan emphasizes the benefit-based approach to
identifying contaminated sites for remediation and redevelopment. This means that the type of
remediation and redevelopment to be implemented in the site should fit the social, economic,
and governance contexts to ensure cost-effectiveness and sustainability. The framework of this
guidebook details that remediating and redeveloping idle, contaminated lands would enhance
the municipality’s economic growth and enrich the current well-being of the people through a
range of benefits to be derived from a combination of planned improvements in land use. In the
long-term, this range of benefits would significantly contribute in the achievement of the TA’s
target policy and development outcomes: 1) capacity assessment and awareness creation; 2)
strategy and action plan implementation; and 3) community development and institutional
strengthening. These target outcomes can be realized and eventually be implemented by the
relevant stakeholders that should be involved in the strategic urban redevelopment by
conducting a set of carefully selected series of stakeholder engagement activities (Table 7).
Table 1. The process in formulating the strategic urban redevelopment plan
TARGET ACTIVITIES OUTPUT
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OUTCOMES
Capacity
Assessment & Awareness
Creation
Baseline Assessment
Capacity Building
Workshops
Urban Redevelopment
Plan
IEC Campaigns
Strategy & Action Plan
Assessment of Remedial Options Remediation Plan
Policy Review & Agenda Setting Policy Brief Formulation
Community Development
& Institutional
Strengthening
Alternative Livelihoods
Community Meetings
Market and Feasibility
Study
Designing & Redesigning Redevelopment Options
PHASE 1 PHASE 2 PHASE 3
Table 6 shows that the conceptualization process for the strategic urban redevelopment of idle,
contaminated sites, the Ramcar Site in particular, demands a multi-faceted strategy that
synergizes science-based baseline assessment primarily for remediation, political motivations in
implementing redevelopment, and the public and private’s knowledge, attitude, and
perceptions about the impacts of the planned redevelopment. This comprehensive process is
composed of a series of simultaneous activities that were implemented in a two-year time
duration. The process was objective to ensure the quality of the outputs as well as dynamic to
better understand the appropriateness of the redevelopment concepts to the site.
IV. Setting-up the Stage for Site-Specific Remediation and
Redevelopment
Stakeholder Identification and Analysis
Stakeholder identification is important in the beginning of the strategic urban redevelopment
plan. The assessment of baseline information for the formulation of appropriate management
alternatives are essentially determined by the scope of the project’s impacts and the influence of
the key stakeholders. Stakeholder identification for the strategic urban redevelopment of the
Ramcar Site was done, first, by enumerating all the potential key stakeholders across the
different scales of management, namely, in the Ramcar Site, the community, as well as in the
entire Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando River System (MMORS).
In the case of the Ramcar Site, land owners were identified based on the tax declaration
documents provided by the Meycauayan City Assessor’s Office. It was found out that there are
at least seven different private individuals/ families/ companies owning properties within the
delineated Ramcar Site. However, only two of the land owners have responded to the
communications by Pure Earth, while the rest have not showed any interest.
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Community profiling, on the other hand, was done in two barangays in Meycauayan City that
were identified as primary impact zones. These are Barangay Bancal and Barangay Tugatog. A
household survey on the socio-economic and health characteristics was conducted in
coordination with the barangay local governments. It was implemented with the assistance of
volunteer barangay health workers and college students of the Mariano Quinto Alarilla
Polytechnic College as survey enumerators. The analysis of primary data from the household
survey was complemented with secondary information available from the local government
units and related literature. Detailed information about the socio-economic and health profile of
residents in Barangays Bancal and Tugatog are discussed in the chapter on remediation above.
For the purpose of redevelopment, key stakeholders at the community level that were identified
are the informal settlers in Daang Bakal, the small-scale tanneries in Barangay Tugatog, and
property owners near the vicinity of the contaminated land. The informal settlement is located
just outside of the fenced area of the Ramcar Site near the former PNR railroad.
Moreover, to effectively raise awareness and enhance institutional capacities about THW
mitigation, relevant literature on the existing institutional arrangements on THW mitigation in
the Philippines were reviewed. The urban redevelopment strategy determined specific offices
and agencies in the different scales of the government, business organizations, private
treatment, storage, and disposal (TSD) facilities, and others concerned in water quality
management in the MMORS including the members of the Water Quality Management Area
(WQMA) Board.
The complete list of identified stakeholders are illustrated in the stakeholder matrix below.
Stakeholder analysis was guided by the influence-importance matrix in which “influence”
refers to the legitimate power of the stakeholder to affect the outcomes of the proposed strategic
urban redevelopment plan, while “importance”, signifies which interests are important to be
satisfied. Combinations of low and high importance and influence have classified the
stakeholders into four types, namely, context setters, regulators and implementers, receivers,
and the audience. All of these stakeholders were engaged by Pure Earth throughout the
conceptualization and formulation process of the strategic urban redevelopment plan.
INFLUENCE
(context setter)
MMORS WQMA Board
High (regulators and implementers)
Ramcar land owners Developers
Meycauayan City LGU
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IMPORTANCE
EMB Region 3 FASPO
Low
Private TSDs (including the EPA) Bulacan Province LGUs
HLURB DILG
Philippine National Police Bureau of Fire Protection Philippine Coast Guard
High
Informal settlers Property owners surrounding the Ramcar Site
Schools, hospitals, and clinics in Meycauayan City Jewelry Association of the Philippines
Medium and small-scale tanneries
(audience) Low (receivers)
Figure 2. Stakeholder matrix for the Ramcar Strategic Urban Redevelopment Plan
Context setters have high influence but low importance regarding the project, for instance the
MMORS WQMA Board. In this case, it is important to consult the WQMA board for advice and
regularly update its members of the project activities to keep them satisfied. Stakeholders with
high influence and high importance were labeled as regulators and implementers. It is
necessary for the project team to closely collaborate with this type of stakeholders as they would
play a major role in the realization of the strategic urban redevelopment plan. The receivers,
like the WQMA Board, are important to be informed of the project activities. These stakeholders
would likely to receive the primary negative and positive impacts of the proposed
redevelopment in the Ramcar Site. A series of consultation workshops were conducted to
gather information about their opinion and attitude towards the proposed redevelopment.
Lastly, the audience were primarily involved in the project to participate and exchange their
points of view in the series of capacity building workshops and IEC campaign on THW
mitigation.
Capacity Building Workshops, IEC Campaigns, and Alternative Livelihoods
Program
The overall objective of the capacity building workshop was to increase awareness and skills of
environmental regulators, industrial stakeholders and artisanal operators on Toxic and
Hazardous Waste issues in municipalities covered by the MMORS-WQMA for improved
decision-making and better management of THW. Outputs of the workshops were geared
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towards developing plans and policies that integrate sound environmental management with
urban redevelopment and mitigation of hazardous waste exposures in urban environments.
Topics of the training-workshop revolved around 4 thematic areas: 1) policy and project
proposal development; 2) importance of public health and law enforcement on THW
management; 3) use of environmental management tools and land use on THW mitigation; and
4) the role of the private sector in the management of THW. The trainings were held from
September to November 2015 in Clark, Pampanga and Subic, Zambales.
Figure 3. Outcomes of the Capacity Building Workshops and IEC Campaign
Getting the support of DENR-FASPO, EMB region 3 as well as the endorsement from LGU
Meycauayan, the support of Valenzuela City as a member of the technical working group, the
support of the president of the league of the Environment and Natural Resource Officers
(ENROs) and the support of the barangay LGUs was a very crucial step in the conduct of the
project. Partnerships between LGUs, NGAs and Pure Earth that deviate from the funder-
beneficiary mentality common to international NGOs were forged during the training-
workshops. LGUs and NGAs are now more open to transactions such as sharing of data,
Capacity(
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THW(Mi7ga7on(
Clarity$of$Pure$Earth's$
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conduct of research on the barangay level and conduct of training to key stakeholders (i.e.
informal sector, tanneries, LGUs etc.) with Pure Earth.
Although the pilot site of the ADB project is in Meycauayan, the training involved all the
ENROs of the province of Bulacan, through the league of ENROs. Representatives from San
Jose, Nueva Ecija also attended the workshop. The topic on Emergency Response on THW
proved to be one of the topics that benefitted all of the LGUs. Promising MENROs from San
Jose Del Monte, Obando and Sta Maria were noteworthy for their insights and depth of
commitment in addressing THW contamination in their respective municipalities. San Jose Del
Monte has already included THW in the drafting of their e-code. The training-workshop also
provided an ideal venue to identify promising participants that could champion the advocacy
of mainstreaming THW in local plans.
Aside from the policy makers, the capacity building workshops covered key stakeholders such
as the academe, hospitals, law enforcers and even the private sector. Universities, such as the
Mariano Quinto Alarilla Polytechnic College, have been conducting THW seminars in their
school since the Pure Earth workshop. MQAPC has also been a partner of Pure Earth in
conducting the public health survey in barangay Bancal, Meycauayan. Students of MQAPC
were also taught of the basics of conducting research in the context of the ADB TA project.
The partnership with the Environmental Practitioners Association (EPA), a group of
environmentally compliant TSD facilities in Region 3, proved to be effective in inviting the
private sector to attend the capacity building workshops— taking into consideration that it has
always been a challenge to invite the private sector since their schedules are always full. But
through EPA president Leslie Baun, Pure Earth was able to get the cooperation of these
industries. During the training-workshop, industries were able to share their experiences in
proper disposal and treatment of e-wastes, technical solutions, and technologies. It was also
ideal that the LGUs were also present. LGUs and industries were able to share their experiences
in mitigation and management techniques for THW.
The 4 workshops increased the awareness of LGUs and other stakeholders in mainstreaming
mitigation of THW contamination as well as created a sense of stewardship on the training
outputs such as the draft policies. The knowledge of LGUs on the science (river quality
monitoring and respective field visits to Clark Metro Waste) and actual governance and
institutional context of THW from health, politics and the technical side of THW was improved.
Some LGUs also manifested that they would be reproducing the IEC materials given during the
training for distribution in their respective areas.
The alternative livelihoods program intended to reduce the contribution and exposure to toxic
and hazardous wastes of waste collectors/pickers, informal tanners and other members of the
informal sector by identifying alternative livelihood options. The target beneficiaries were
located in barangays adjacent to the Ramcar Site in Barangays Caingin, Tugatog, and Bancal in
Meycauayan City and Barangay Veinte Reales in Valenzuela City. Training needs assessment
and focus group discussions were conducted with the said target sector groups.
Waste collection/picking is the main source of livelihood of majority of the participants. Other
sources of income include service jobs such as manicure-pedicure, fixing of electronics, laundry
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and house cleaning services and construction jobs. Others are employed in small scale
businesses such as sari-sari stores and leather tanneries. Participants from Caingin collect and
segregate their wastes in the Caingin dumpsite, majority of them are also residing in that area.
There is an estimated number of 20 households living in the Caingin dumpsite and they have
been collecting wastes for 8-11 years now. Wastes are collected twice a week, depending on the
schedule of the dump truck and the participants spend at least 8 hours a day collecting wastes.
The weekly income ranges from Php 300-2,300. Majority of the participants from barangay
Lingunan collect their wastes from the previous Lingunan dumpsite, now a waste transfer
station. They are residing in barangay Veinte Reales, adjacent to the dumpsite. There is an
estimate of 300 families living near the dumpsite. These families rely mostly on waste picking as
their primary source of livelihood. They have been collecting wastes for 11 years already, every
day from 8AM-4PM (dayshift). Their average income in a day is Php 100-1,200.
Role playing games were used to comprehensively demonstrate the basics of operating a
business including the budgeting of finances, procurement of materials needed, and production
of outputs. Potential alternative livelihoods were enumerated then ranked according to a set of
requirements and preference by the participants. The following criteria were considered in
identifying the potential alternative livelihood options: gender appropriateness, capital, labor,
land, available market in the area, and whether trainings or seminars are needed.
The top three identified alternative livelihoods for barangay Caingin are pillow making from
foam, rug making and dishwashing liquid making. Establishing of a junkshop ranked number 1
for barangay Lingunan, followed by small eatery/karinderya and selling of fish balls, barbeque
and other food. Other alternative livelihoods identified were bigasang may ulam, papaya soap
making, recycling of PE bottles, selling of sampaguita/roses, establishing a junkshop, flower
vase making from old newspapers. Junkshop also ranked number 1 for barangays Bancal-
Tugatog as well as the selling of balut and fish, followed by the selling of fish balls, barbeque
and other street snacks and DVD and other accessories business.
Table 2. Top 3 ranked potential alternative livelihood options in Barangays Caingin, Lingunan, Bancal, and Tugatog
Barangay Alternative
Livelihood
Gender Requirements
(L=Low; M=Moderate; H=High) Rank
F M Both Capital Labor Land Market Training/ seminar
Caingin
Pillow making from foam
X H H L H No 1
Rug making X H H L H Yes 2
Dishwashing liquid making
X H H L H Yes 3
Veinte Junkshop X H H H H Yes 1
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Reales Small eatery X H H L H Yes 2
Selling of fishballs, barbeque
X H M L H Yes 3
Bancal and Tugatog
Junkshop X H H H H No 1
Selling of Balut X H L L L No 1
Selling of fish X H L L M Yes 1
Selling of fishballs, barbeque
X H L L L No 2
Selling of DVD and other accessories
X H L L L No 3
The scope of the TA does not include the actual alternative livelihoods, however, the TA looks
for possible networks/organizations that can provide additional technical trainings and
assistance to the said participants for them to be able to start better livelihood options. An
organization was formed among the participants present in the training. The organization
name, and the members of the executive committee consisting of the president, vice-president,
secretary and treasurer were identified. Organizing the informal sector around the proposed
redevelopment site is important for future project communications, information dissemination,
and policy consultations.
Policy Review and Agenda Setting
Consistent policy dialogues were held throughout the planning process to strengthen
regulations and local partnerships needed to implement the plans. Government agencies were
key participants in policy reviews to ensure that the policy framework is reasonable given local
government priorities and resources. The baseline report highlighted several laws being
implemented at the national level on hazardous wastes management. Standards were set to
mitigate potential impacts of anthropogenic activities. It should be noted, however, that the
current THW management procedures do not still include incidents about legacy pollution
(before the EIS was established in the Philippines) or if the company has also closed down.
DENR EMB shared that they are planning to develop protocols and procedures to address
legacy pollution and also the institutionalization of e-permitting procedure or system of THW
generators, transporters and TSDs.
The capacity building workshops and technical working group served as venues for policy dialogues between communities and industries in the pilot locations to validate policy analysis, identify gaps, and formulate policy recommendations and enhancement strategies considering inter-agency policy harmonization. Based on the case study of Blacksmith Institute Philippines (for its technical assistance in the assessment and clean-up of a TSD in Bulacan, Philippines), the following are the identified gaps based on the current policy on toxic and hazard waste management (Blacksmith Institute, 2012):
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• Calculation of the polluter’s fee are only based on BOD and should include hazardous substances being processed and handled by the TSD or transporter or generator;
• Review the permitting system since a company could both be a transporter and treater which could lead to connivance and shortcuts;
• No comprehensive database system for the manifest forms and THW reports at the regional level and rely only on hard copies submitted by industry alone;
• Lack of incentives or pressure for hazardous generators to also comply with the policy and ensure that their hazardous wastes are being treated correctly by their service providers; there should be an extended producer’s responsibility;
• Strict implementation of penalties and follow-through of agreements after post-monitoring of MMTs;
• Lack of appreciation from local officials of the impact of HWM to sustainable urban development as manifested in priority projects and programs including investments. An IEC campaign up to the community level regarding THW impacts can raise awareness and more active participation in its management; and
• The local academe and research institutions are not fully engaged in site assessments and analysis of samples.
Figure 4. Consolidated policy development agenda for THW mitigation
Local$EIA$System$and$Monitoring$
Toxic$Release$Inventory$
Emergency$Response$
Mechanisms$
Taxes,$insurance,$and$fees$
LGU$coopera^on$ Public$behavior$
POLICY(DEVELOPMENT(AGENDA(
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Local EIA system and monitoring: EMB should look at the submitted applications against the CLUP. A Full local EIA for projects and critical areas not covered by the national and regional systems (e.g. some areas are not covered like cemeteries below 5 has). There should be local inventories to serve as baselines in making locators liable. There should be a clear authority of the Mayor to suspend operations or close for violations – this depends on gravity and public clamor. Toxic Release Inventory (TRI): a public database of all commercial establishments should be registered and chemicals used should be listed. LGUs can also have toxic chemicals inventory (any amount you buy should be registered; e.g. dental office buying cyanide should be registered). TRI tracks the management of certain toxic chemicals that may pose a threat to human health and the environment. You can anticipate what types of wastes will be released by company.
Emergency Response Mechanisms: people need to know the dangers, how to deal with it, make resources available, and improve response time. For example, there are smaller types of spills that need to be documented. There should be regular drills in areas with industrial areas for worst case scenarios. Taxes, insurance, fees: Real estate valuation based on risks posed by the zone. There should be higher cost for discharge of effluents; higher fees for disposal of hazardous HH waste. Incentives and insurance - LGU can require insurance for companies that use high amounts of TH chemicals. Rehabilitation and clean-up funds – Pass ordinances that set aside funds for clean-up (disaster fund, for example; DENR does not do clean-up even if it is in the Clean Water Act; LGU can do the clean-up and ask DENR to charge perpetrators to reimburse the fund); charge levies for every plastic bag discharged by stores. LGU cooperation: cooperation among WQMA and non-WQMA areas, watershed management, integrated basin ordinances or management bodies, joint collection and handling mechanisms. Develop sets of presumptions – e.g. if there are industries upstream, there should be presumption that if there is poisoning downstream, industries should be able to prove that they are not the source by showing evidence of discharge, etc. Public behavior-modifying mechanisms: ordinances and programs, public monitoring and reporting (can have incentives for reports from public), clear liabilities. LGUs can look at finding liabilities so they can get back their funds for doing clean-ups. LGUs can sue, including Writ of Kalikasan which includes massive emergencies or spills (encompasses several areas); this is really designed for toxic wastes. You can also get environmental protection order.
Two policy briefs were already drafted to initiate the necessary legislative steps in materializing
these policy recommendations, particularly the inter-LGU cooperation and the mainstreaming
of THW mitigation in local development plans. Local policies in land use and zoning in
Bulacan, particularly in Meycauayan City, were also reviewed to assess the potential
redevelopment concepts applicable to the Ramcar Site.
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V. The Ramcar Remediation Plan
General Steps
Figure 5. The step-by-step process in remediating THW contaminated sites1
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$1
Asante-Duah, D. (1996). Managing contaminated sites: Problem Diagnosis. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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Step 1: Preliminary Site Assessment
The preliminary site assessment documents known and potential presence of contamination in
areas of concern, the characteristics of the contaminants, their potential migration pathways,
and qualitative assessment of the extent of contamination. This consists of understanding the
site’s history through the review of historical records, readily available databases and reports,
and published literature. Data needs include records from the private company, regulatory
agency, local government, and other concerned organizations on site profile, detailed project
design and process, hydrogeology and topography of the site, monitoring reports, preliminary
soil and water contamination analysis, socio-economic and physical characteristics of the
surrounding area, and known environmental hazards such as flooding. Information can also
come from anecdotal reports of practices from former employees, local residents, and key
informants.
It is important during the preliminary site assessment that the scope of the problem be defined
according to the context of the industry’s previous operations to determine the types of
contaminants, exposure pathways, and the contamination levels. Assessment of the socio-
economic profile and land use of the communities surrounding the contaminated land would
provide a better understanding of the risks and the appropriate ways on how to manage it.
This is done together with physical site inspection and basic sampling and analysis such as in
situ tests using a portable equipment to assess the existing contamination levels in surface
water, groundwater from deep wells, and soil within the site’s vicinity. Site inspection includes
field surveys that are necessary before any intrusive exploratory methods in assessing
contaminated sites are to be conducted. Geophysical surveys, for instance, can characterize the
site’s lateral and vertical extent for both lithologic and hydrologic information such as soil
stratification, disturbance in soil formation, buried toxic and hazardous wastes, and
groundwater characteristics. Visual evidence of contamination as well as odors can be done by
trial pitting that guides the selection of sampling sites for laboratory analyses. Auger and
borehole drill are used to collect soil samples for testing to determine the types of contaminants
to be considered for further investigation.
Site Description
The Ramcar Site is located in Meycauayan City in the province of Bulacan, approximately 19
kilometers north of Manila and 22 kilometers south of the provincial capital, Malolos. The city is
situated near the center of the Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando River System (MMORS) Water
Quality Management Area (WQMA) (Figure 6). Meycauayan City is bounded on the east by
Caloocan City, on the west by Obando, on the north by Marilao, and on the south by Valenzuela
City. The landlocked city of Meycauayan comprised 26 barangays with a total land area of 3,210
hectares.
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in MMORS and its relative position in the region’s notable commercial areas. Based on the map,
the Ramcar Site is strategically located near Metro Manila just south of the Subic Bay Freeport
Zone.
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The lead recycling facility operated from 1978 to 2000. It was the site for one of the longest
industrial operations in Meycauayan City. The building that housed the recycling operation has
been demolished, but no remediation and clean- up was conducted since policy or regulation
pertaining to such was inexistent during that time. Although closed, the facility is still being
guarded and is privately owned. The Ramcar Site is composed of 11 different land parcels
forming a contiguous irregularly shaped area of almost 4.0 hectares (Figure 8).
All throughout the project implementation, Pure Earth has consistently attempted to
communicate with all land owners of the site. However, invitations for consultations and
meetings were all denied from all but one property owner. Land owners, particularly the
Leelin/ Ramcar Corporation has not been cooperative in this project’s endeavors making it
more difficult for the project team to do a full-blown site investigation of the scope of THW
contamination. Issues of the other land parcels in the site concern the transfer of land titles to
living relatives who are similarly disinterested to communicate with Pure Earth regarding the
project’s objectives. On the other hand, Pure Earth has been in touched with one owner, the
Philippine Investments, Inc. and with property owners adjacent to the Ramcar Site. They have
been invited in the series of consultation meetings regarding the remediation and
redevelopment of the site and the proposal has been received positively by them.
Figure 8. Land ownership profile of the site.
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Surrounding land use of the site
Within the fenced area of the Ramcar Site, the project site is occupying approximately 34,800
sqm (Figure 9). It only has about 56 meters of road frontage, and at least 200 meters in depth.
The southeastern boundary of the site has a length of 254 meters. It is mostly vacant with
concrete fence defining the boundaries of the entire project site. The only structure remaining is
a shell of a 3-storey building that is visible from the road.
It is situated beside the Philippine National Railways (PNR) former railroad and where a number of informal settlers resided due to the available open space and its proximity to sources of urban employment and services. The site is also prone to flooding where wetlands are located at the back of the property.
Figure 9. Location of the former ULAB site.
On the south of the project site is a warehouse and a 4-storey building. Right beside this
building is the Hollywood Suites and Resort. To the north, there is a dilapidated warehouse.
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The eastern part is bounded by open space. There is a plan to have railroad line near the rear
boundary. Across the street from the property are various establishments such as auto supply
store, tire store, clinic, and a hardware. These are mostly low rise, 2-storey concrete structures.
The other establishments near the site are gas stations, bus terminal, and Puregold which is
national chain of supermarkets. Although the land development along MacArthur Highway is
mostly commercial in nature, the City Assessor’s Office in 2013 has still classified the land
parcels near the road as industrial with a market value of about PhP 1,200 per square meter.
Figure 10. Frontage along MacArthur Highway (left) and establishments across the road of the Ramcar Site (right)
Figure 11. Properties to the left side of the Ramcar Site
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Figure 12. Figure 9. The Hollywood Suites is 3 lots away from the Ramcar Site (left) where lightweight and micro establishments can be found next to it (right)
Figure 13. Establishments across the road of the Ramcar Site
Figure 14. Property to the right of Ramcar (right) and the view to the north of commercial development that is mostly lowrise
Located within the 500-m radius of the Ramcar Site are parts of Barangay Bancal, Tugatog, and
Banga of Meycauayan City and Veinte Reales in Valenzuela City. This area is allocated for
residential and industrial uses based from the Meycauayan City CLUP 1999-2004. However,
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based from field visits, the surrounding environment of RAMCAR is dominated by a mixture of
residential and commercial infrastructures (Figure 15).
Figure 15. Land use of surrounding environment of RAMCAR
In particular interest of this study is the locations of tanneries and gold smelting business
establishments around the Ramcar Site located in Barangay Bancal and Tugatog. Table 3 shows
that there are 12 registered tanneries and gold smelting establishments in the area; 2 are in
Bancal while 10 are in Tugatog. However, the satellite image of the Ramcar Site shows that
there are at least 28 tanneries and gold smelting facilities in the study site (Figure 16). These are
situated on the north and northeast of the Ramcar Site. Many of these facilities are concentrated
within 500 meters of the tributaries of the mainstream Meycauayan River.
Table 3. Registered Tanneries and Gold Smelting Business Establishments, 2015
Barangay Nature of business Classification Category Number of employees
Bancal Buy & sell (leather ) Single Dealer 2
Leather material Single Retailer 5
Tugatog
Manufacturing (leather) Corporation manufacturing 20
Manufacturing (safety footwear & leather processing)
No data Manufacturing No data
Buy & Sell (Trading of Finished Leather)
Single Dealer 1
Leather services Corporation Contractor 16
Manufacturing / trading Single Contractor 2
Leather services Single Retailer 1
Leather services Single Contractor 10
Leather products Single Manufacturer 2
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Leather service Single Contractor 1
Leather services Single Contractor 2 Source: Business Permits and Licensing Office of the City Government of Meycauayan, 2015
Figure 16. Tanneries and gold smelting establishments near the Meycauayan River
History of operation
The Ramcar facility in Meycauayan City operated as a battery and used lead acid battery
recycling for 25 years. In 1997, two of the biggest motor battery manufacturers in the
Philippines - C.C. Unson Company that manufactures Motolite battery, and RAMCAR Inc. that
produces Oriental battery, merged to become Oriental and Motolite Corporation (OMC). OMC
is the industry pioneer and leader in “productivity, capacity and the utilization of modern
battery technology”$(ILMC,$2005). C.C. Unson started as an importer of motor batteries importer
with its main source mainly from States Battery Parts of Seattle, Washington. RAMCAR was
founded in 1919 as an automotive electrical shop in Manila.
In$1991,$Ramcar$through$the$Lead$Smelters$Inc$(LSI),$renamed$Philippine$Recyclers,$Inc.$and$later$
transformed$into$Green$Planet,$bought$out$First$Metal$Specialists,$Inc.$(FMSI)$and$managed$the$battery$
recycling$operations.$$This$ended$the$dependence$of$the$company$to$imported$primary$lead.$$In$
addition,$local$and$international$pressures$for$stricter$transboundary$movement$of$hazardous$wastes$
and$materials$was$put$into$policy,$adopted$in$1989$and$enforced$in$1992$through$the$Basel$Convention$
on$the$Control$of$Transboundary$Movements$of$Hazardous$Wastes$and$Their$Disposal.$Ramcar$
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partnered$with$GNB$Corporation$of$the$United$States$of$America$to$improve$its$production$efficiency$
and$as$a$product$was$able$to$refine$secondary$lead$to$a$purity$of$99.97%$(ILMC,$2005).$
The original used lead acid battery recycling plant was in Gen Luis St. Novaliches, Quezon City
and later moved to Bancal, the Meycauayan site in the 1980s. In 1989, the Meycauayan plant
reached its maximum capacity rate of 12,000 tonnes of lead recovered per annum. The recycling
facility was later transferred to Marilao to cover the increasing demand for soft lead bullion and
hard lead alloys (Table 4).
Table 4. RAMCAR Recycling Plants Lead Production per annum (ILMC, 2005)
Year Lead Production (tonnes/annual) Plant
1981 7,200 Meycauayan Plant
1989 12,000 (maximum capacity) Meycauayan Plant
1990 36,000 Marilao Plant
The Philippine Recyclers, Inc (PRI) became the largest secondary lead smelter in the Philippines.
The company also implemented several Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects such as
Balik Baterya in partnership with Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and Bantay
Baterya with Bantay Kalikasan of the ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc (AFI). Both programs center on
requesting private companies to donate their ULABs for proper handling and recycling, the
equivalent amount or proceeds of which go to PBSP’s and AFI’s development projects (i.e.
electrification of classrooms, rehabilitation of watersheds). Historical information about the site
operation was identified based on the interview of a former employee (Figure 17).
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Figure 19. Lead levels on surface soil surrounding the former ULAB in Meycauayan City
Lead levels outside the facility decreases as sampling depth increases. This indicates that
contamination outside the wall and near the former railroad is mainly concentrated on the
surface. However, samples collected in front of the facility showed increasing levels of lead with
deeper increments from surface to 0.50 meters (Figures 19, 20, and 21). This is attributed to a
number of highway renovations since 2000 where clean soil has been dumped to elevate the
area due to flooding.
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Figure 20. Lead levels of soil taken at 0.25 m
Figure 21. Lead levels of soil taken at 0.50 m
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A parallel assessment was conducted inside the RAMCAR facility which was facilitated by the
company. Assessment results showed that lead levels after the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching
Procedure (TCLP) range from 254 to 1677 ppm (Figure 23).
Figure 23. TCLP results of lead in soil collected inside the facility
In 2014, within the context of the planned North Luzon Railway Project, Ramcar, in coordination with EMB Region III and based on reconfirmed findings of the 2010 project, implemented remediation just outside of the walled property and only for identified contaminated areas which fall within the North Luzon Railway Corporation (NLRC) property. Figure 24 shows the lead levels on soil surface at the PNR property adjacent to the ULAB that underwent remediation last July 2014. The total area excavated covered 3,800 sq. m. at 0.6 m with an estimated volume of 2,280 m3. The contaminated soil was dumped, secured and covered inside the walled facility of RAMCAR. Clean soil from Newtown, Dulong Bayan, San Jose Del Monte City in Bulacan was used to backfill the site.
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Figure 24. Baseline Lead levels on surface soil at the PNR property adjacent to the former ULAB
Potential Pathways
Based on interviews with local officials and community members, informal settlers in Daang
Bakal (site of a former railroad owned by PNR) who are residing outside the wall retrieved lead
slags and battery materials inside the former facility. These materials were processed informally
and sold to junkshops within the cities of Meycauayan and Valenzuela. Battery casings were
also retrieved inside the former facility and were used for flooring. These activities spread the
lead contaminants and exposed the community members of Daang Bakal through dermal
contact with contaminated soil and water.
Exposure of the community members in Daang Bakal was established in 2010 when the
Department of Health (DOH) and the University of the Philippines – National Poison and
Management Control Center (UP-NPMCC) in partnership with Blacksmith conducted a health
assessment study. Blood Lead Levels (BLL) of children living near the former ULAB site were
collected and analyzed in April – May 2010. Results showed that out of the 76 children ages 6-7
years old, 12 had BBL of more than 10 µg/dL some as high as 65 µg/dL. The Center for Disease
Control (CDC) uses 5µg/dL as the level of concern for a child’s BLL. At 45µg/dL, the CDC
recommends chelation therapy.
Another toxicant, chromium (III and VI), which can be found in tanneries can affect a person
through inhalation, dermal absorption or ingestion of contaminated soil, food and water.
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The adverse effects of lead include developmental delays in children, neurobehavioral damage,
and decrease in perceptual reasoning, working memory indices and processing speed indices.
On the other hand, the effects of hexavalent chromium include chrome ulcers among workers,
asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic rhinitis and chronic pharyngitis. It also produces allergic
contact dermatitis and kidney/ liver diseases among exposed workers.
Step 2: Primary Site Investigation
The purpose of the primary site investigation is to verify the presence or absence of
contamination. It includes investigation of specific contaminants to determine their
concentration levels and the extent of contamination. Once contamination is verified,
investigation focuses on the contaminant characteristics and their transport properties as well as
the possibility of the spread of contamination from the contaminated site. Site sampling and
analysis were conducted in impacted media to give a more comprehensive understanding of the
nature of contaminant release, cross-media transport, and probable health, economic, and
environmental effects. Primary site investigation also includes the assessment of risks and the
identification of the feasible solutions for potential remediation and redevelopment. Figure 25
shows the decision process to screen chemicals of potential concern in the impacted area.