“Thirty days may not be enough for Feaco to finish all anti-pollution measures, so we just may extend the suspension until it has completed all the measures,” Nucom said.
As of yesterday, however, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) had yet to finish its findings on water samples taken from the Pampanga River to determine what exactly caused the fish kill also affecting the towns of Masantol and Macabebe.
Nucom said that he also asked Feaco to clean up the waters affected by the pollution initially attributed to leaks in the firm’s tanks containing molasses.
“Feaco should apologize to the affected folk. I think clearances from the towns of Masantol and Macabebe are also called for before it is allowed to resume operations,” he added.
While lamenting the displacement of some 100 workers of Feaco, Nucom stressed the greater interest of people in the affected areas. “If they are not permanent employees and rely only on contractual daily wages, perhaps they could be assisted by the local government one way or the other,” he said.
Nucom said the decision on whether to impose indefinite suspension on Feaco would depend on the results of the tests being done by BFAR. He noted, however, that pollution in the Pampanga River seemed to have abated after Feaco operations were halted.
