Fil-Ams Welcome SC Decision on Pandacan Oil Depot
Not only are
extra-judicial killings in the Philippines an important issue in the
United States of America. Even local concerns in the country, at least in
the opinion of U.S. concerned citizens and migrants, bear watching.
BY BULATLAT
Not only are
extra-judicial killings in the Philippines an important issue in the
United States of America. Even local concerns in the country, at least in
the opinion of U.S. concerned citizens and migrants, bear watching as a
result of their global implications.
The U.S.-based
Filipino-American Coalition for Environmental Solidarity (FACES) lauded
the Supreme Court (SC) of the Philippines for its decision last March 7.
The SC ordered Manila
City Mayor Lito Atienza to enforce City Ordinance No. 8027 which would
result in the relocation of the Pandacan oil depot of Caltex (subsidiary
of Chevron), Petron, and Pilipinas Shell.
FACES described the
SC decision as “a victory for the people of Pandacan and fenceline
communities worldwide.”
City Ordinance No.
8027 reclassified the land on which the oil depot sits from industrial to
commercial, thus forcing the oil companies to cease operation in the area.
However, instead of outright removal, the Manila City Government and
Department of Energy entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with
the oil companies agreeing to a “scaling down of operations.”
The SC decision said
that the purpose of the ordinance is “to protect the residents of Manila
from catastrophic devastation…in case of a terrorist attack.” FACES
adviser Jorge Emmanuel, a chemical engineer and environmental scientist,
said that the closure of the oil depot is vital not just because of a
possible attack but also because of the constant threat of calamity from
accidental fires and explosions.
In December 2005, an
early morning explosion at Buncefield oil depot seven kilometers from
Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom, resulted in 43 people injured, damage to
buildings up to 800 meters away, and the evacuation of over 2,000 people
who lived in the vicinity. Unlike Buncefield depot which is surrounded by
factories and warehouses, however, the Pandacan oil depot is surrounded by
84,000 residents as well as thousands of students and staff of the
Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) just across the Pasig
River. Emmanuel said that if a similar blast were to occur at Pandacan,
the devastation would be catastrophic.
“Closure of the oil
depot is critical to halt any negative impacts on the public health of
Pandacan residents from chronic exposures to toxic pollutants from oil
depot operations,” FACES co-chair Galatea King, a public health
specialist, said.
Benzene, a known
carcinogen and a component of gasoline, was found at high levels in the
air around Pandacan.
FACES stressed that
the closure of the oil depot should involve proper environmental
remediation, ensuring that all toxic contamination of soil, surface water
and ground water, coastal areas, and permanent structures are cleaned up
to standards appropriate for its reclassification to commercial use. FACES
also urged the participation of local residents and other stakeholders
throughout the closure process to ensure the development of economic
conversion plans that will benefit the residents of the community,
preserve the green spaces and bring new jobs to the site while protecting
the environment.
“On our part, we will
continue to urge Samuel Armacost, chair of the Board of Directors of
Chevron, to visit Pandacan, listen to the concerns of the community, and
announce specific plans for environmental clean-up and closure of its
operations,” FACES co-chair Christine Cordero said. Armacost was elected
to the Chevron Board in 1982, the same year his brother, Michael Armacost,
became U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines.
Last December,
Cordero and other FACES members joined with environmental groups and
fenceline communities surrounding the Chevron oil depot and refinery in
Richmond, California, to draw attention to the adverse health effects of
oil depots on fenceline communities around the world. Bulatlat
BACK TO
TOP ■
PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION ■
COMMENT
© 2007 Bulatlat
■
Alipato Publications
Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided
its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.