DENR lowers boom on 5 steel mills

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) are readying cases against five steel mills accused of emitting high air pollution levels that posed serious threats to public health and the environment.

The agency said in a statement that it has launched an investigation into the activities of Pampanga-based Melter Steel Corp., Real Steel Corp. and Wan Chiong Steel Corp.; Caloocan City-based Metro Dragon Steel Corp., and Davao Mighty Steel Corp. after receiving complaints on the companies’ alleged violation of labor and environmental laws, particularly the Clean Air Act or Republic Act No. 8749.

“Given the veracity of the allegations, the investigation must be completed as quickly as possible so that we can take immediate measures to address the problem and, if necessary, hold these companies accountable for their pollution,” Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said.

The companies were reported to have been using induction furnace for steel manufacturing —an equipment that has already been banned in China due to pollution and what the Asean Iron and Steel Council (AISC) described as “obsolete.”

DENR quoted AISC in the same statement as saying that these facilities were “environmentally unfriendly” and should be banned since these were not equipped with waste gas treatment systems.

“As a consequence, the process releases harmful gases and generate high degree of pollutants to the environment,” the group said.

Environment Undersecretary Benny Antiporda has also been quoted as saying that the DENR would not allow these companies to continue their practices at the expense of polluting the environment.

“We will not allow these capitalists to cause damage to the environment,” he said.