toxic pollution in the philippines

7/27/2019 Toxic Pollution in the Philippines

1/25

Toxic Pollution in thePhilippinesNeric Acosta, Ph.D.


2/25

2.8 million people estimated at risk61 sites evaluated to date

Over

Pasig River


3/25

Smokey Mountain


4/25

Manila Bay


5/25

Manila Bay


6/25

Creek in Manila


7/25


8/25


9/25

River in Cagayan de Oro


10/25

Scope of ToxicPollution in thePhilippines

PrimaryPollutant

at Sites

Active Sites LegacySites

Sites withBoth

Active &

Legacy

Pollution

Totalumber of

Sites

EstimatedPopulation

at Risk

Mercury 1 3 28 32 1,244,800

Lead 2 9 11 1,208,500

Cyanide 1 3 2 6 266,700

Arsenic 1 3 1 5 70,300

Cadmium 4 4 48,500

Pesticides 1 1 20,000

PCBs 1 1 15,000Dioxins 1 1 3,600

Total 4 13 44 61 2,877,400

Scope of Toxic Pollution in the Philippines


11/25

Major Polluting Industries

Artisanal Gold Mining and

Mercury

Industrial Mining

Used Lead-Acid Battery

Recycling


12/25

Other Factors:

Enforcement/Governance Issues

! Weak institutions! Lack of effective enforcement! Rent-seeking/corruption! Lack of incentive structures for compliance! Lack of compensatory obligations of polluters

(polluters-pay principle)


13/25

Environmental Laws

! Code on Sanitation of the Philippines! Marine Pollution Decree! Philippine Environmental Code! Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System! Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act! Clean Air Act! Ecological Solid Waste Management Act! Clean Water Act


14/25

Major Environmental Projects

! Rehabilitation of the Pasig River through the PasigRiver Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC)

! Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA)


15/25

Projects of the Blacksmith Institute


16/25

Marilao Industrial

Waste Contamination


17/25

Location

ContaminantProject Duration

Project CostImplementing Partners

Toxin

Affected Population

Bulacan Province, Philippines

Heavy Metal Pollution in the River Systems20052009

$300,000 over four yearsMMO Water Quality Management Board, DENR

Environment Office, Meycauayan Environment Office

Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium, Chromium

160,452


18/25

Heavy metal pollution of the Marilao-

Meycauayan-Obando River system(MMORS) in Bulacan has caused

environmental degradation and

numerous public health problems

Causes of contamination: Both

formal and informal industries, such

as used lead acid battery recycling,

gold and precious metals refining,jewelry making, and open dumpsites


19/25

Many of these toxic metal

pollutants far exceed nationalstandards

Hot spots of water quality: Emissions and wastes

from industrial processes find their way into theatmosphere, river system and fishponds before exiting

the Manila Bay

Fishponds provide food for hundreds and thousands of people in

Metro Manila: The likelihood of disease due to heavy metalpoisoning decreases life spans and becomes a serious and

widespread threat to public health and environmental well being


20/25

Remediation of Clark

and Subic Bay


21/25

Location

ContaminantProject Duration

Project Cost

Implementing Partners

ToxinAffected Population

Clark and Subic Bay, Philippines

Multiple Industrial and Chemical PollutantsDecember 2007Present

Budget $230,000

Green Cross Switzerland, Great Forest Inc., Coca Cola

Foundation, Clark Development Corporation, Subic Bay

Redevelopment Authority, University of the Philippines

Biotech

Multiple Heavy Metals, Lead, Polycarbonate, Biphenyls77,000


22/25

Subic Naval Base is located 120km

north of Manila, directly in the path

of international shipping lanes

Since 1990, military activity had been

contributing to extensive pollution of

the Subic Bay

The Subic Naval Base and Clark AirBase were abandoned in 1992, leaving

all preexisting pollution untreated and

uncovered in the environment

No comprehensive sewage system or

treatment: Waste was dumped directly

into Subic Bay, along with lead andheavy metals from the ship repairfacility


23/25

The Clark Air Base was evacuated

following a volcanic eruption in

September 1991, which put a massive

amount of ash into the air

The fallout from the volcanic eruption

left several groundwater drinking wellscontaminated

Polychlorinated phenyl (PCBs) have

infected the water and soil , making the

situation more urgent and has potential

to freely spread through soil siccation


24/25

Records of about 500 families who sought

refuge on the deserted bases after a 1991

volcanic eruption indicate 76 people died and68 others were sickened by pollutants

Toxins lead to unusually high occurrence of

skin disease, miscarriages, still births, birth

defects, cancers, heart ailments and leukemia

Also cause cerebral palsy and severe mental

retardation

At least 19 children were born with disabilities,

diseases and deformities between 1996 and1999


25/25

toxic pollution in the philippines

Documents