Probe on operation of Camp 7 batching plant ordered

By Dexter A. See 

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan ordered the City Health Services Office, City Environment and Parks Management Office and the City Buildings and Architecture Office to reconvene into a task force to conduct an investigation on the alleged unhealthy operations of the controversial Camp 7 batching plant in the light of the implementation of the city’s Environment code among other violations.

Domogan said it is high time for the controversial cement batching plant to be closed because its operations pose a serious threat to the health of the people living around it aside from the nuisance that it causes while operating which are all in violation of the pertinent provisions of Ordinance No. 18, series of 2016 or the city’s Environment code.

 “We have to take drastic measures to close the operation of the controversial batching plant which has been the subject of numerous verbal complaints from affected residents and motorists over the past several years. We already gave the operator the leeway to voluntarily move out of the residential area but it seems our repeated appeals have fell on deaf ears because of the greed for greater income,” Domogan said.

He also took note of the previous commitment of William Tan, the owner of the controversial cement batching plant, for him to voluntarily move out of the area and transfer to a still undisclosed place in Tam-awan but a good number of years have passed and such promise remained an unfulfilled promise by the wealthy businessman.

According to him, the task force should jointly conduct the required inspection the soonest and for the members to submit their consolidated findings and recommendations for the possible closure of the batching plant so that he will implement whatever drastic moves that will be undertaken to once and for all put an end to the sufferings of the residents leaving around the batching plant.

Domogan said the proprietor of the batching plant is using a questionable decision of the Regional Trial Court that declared the city’s anti-batching plant ordinance which was appealed by the city legal office to the Court of Appeals to cover his continued stay in Camp 7 amidst opposition from affected residents who want the said facility to be out of their area because of nuisance and pollution it has caused them through the years.

In 2007, the city adopted Ordinance No. 43, series of 2007 that prohibits the operation of cement batching plants around the city because of the nuisance that it poses to the public.

 Domogan said it is still best for the operator to comply with his long standing commitment to relocate to a place outside the city because of the numerous problems that it poses to the health and the environment of the city as a whole.

The task force will be trying to set the guidelines for the scheduled inspection of the questioned batching plant so that its actions will be consolidated for the further needed action of the local chief executive.