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MANILA, Philippines - Environmental activists, led by international advocacy group Greenpeace, on Thursday called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to come up with a pollutiondisclosure system for industrial firms to warn the public about chemicals dumped in waterways.
During the launch of the three-week "right-to-know" Water Patrol Expedition along Marikina River, the environmental activists called on the government to install the mechanism, such as the Pollutant Release and Transfer Registry.
The PRTR mandates industrial facilities to publicly declare the chemicals used in their products and manufacturing processes, and how these chemicals are discharged, treated and transported.
"Every day, hundreds of thousands of chemicals are being released into the environment, majority of these through pipes that discharge wastewater into rivers and lakes. Only a fraction of these chemicals has been tested to ascertain the risks they pose to the environment and human health," said Beau Baconguis, Toxics Campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
The expedition, which travels for 85 kilometers for three weeks, will examine and document sources of toxic pollution from Marikina River all the way to Laguna Lake during the month of September.
"The government has no exact data of what these chemicals are, and how much end up in our waterways. Communities along our rivers and lakes directly bear the brunt of these toxic discharges which can ultimately contaminate our source of drinking water," Baconguis added.
Aside from the PRTR, the groups also proposed that the government immediately establish a list of hazardous chemicals for priority elimination action and create an action plan with clear timelines to reduce, restrict and ultimately zero the discharges of toxic chemicals.
At the launch, 30 water patrol activists in 12 boats investigated and documented possible water pollutionhotspots along Calumpang, Marikina. - Dennis Carcamo
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=848447&publicationSubCategoryId=200
During the launch of the three-week "right-to-know" Water Patrol Expedition along Marikina River, the environmental activists called on the government to install the mechanism, such as the Pollutant Release and Transfer Registry.
The PRTR mandates industrial facilities to publicly declare the chemicals used in their products and manufacturing processes, and how these chemicals are discharged, treated and transported.
"Every day, hundreds of thousands of chemicals are being released into the environment, majority of these through pipes that discharge wastewater into rivers and lakes. Only a fraction of these chemicals has been tested to ascertain the risks they pose to the environment and human health," said Beau Baconguis, Toxics Campaigner for Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
The expedition, which travels for 85 kilometers for three weeks, will examine and document sources of toxic pollution from Marikina River all the way to Laguna Lake during the month of September.
"The government has no exact data of what these chemicals are, and how much end up in our waterways. Communities along our rivers and lakes directly bear the brunt of these toxic discharges which can ultimately contaminate our source of drinking water," Baconguis added.
Aside from the PRTR, the groups also proposed that the government immediately establish a list of hazardous chemicals for priority elimination action and create an action plan with clear timelines to reduce, restrict and ultimately zero the discharges of toxic chemicals.
At the launch, 30 water patrol activists in 12 boats investigated and documented possible water pollutionhotspots along Calumpang, Marikina. - Dennis Carcamo
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=848447&publicationSubCategoryId=200
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