The contaminated water, which was delivered in four 1-liter
sampling bottles, was taken from sites within the Cavite Economic
Processing Zone or CEPZA, where Greenpeace found severe cases of
chemical contamination earlier in the year. To underscore the
problem, the activists put "Refreshingly Toxic Water" labels in
each bottle, and indicated that the same were "unfit for human
consumption and guaranteed to make you sick."
In the report, 'Cutting Edge Contamination: A study of
environmental pollution during the manufacture of electronic
products' released in February this year, three samples taken from
this site contained chlorinated Volatile organic chemicals (VOCs)
above World Health Organization (WHO) limits for drinking water.
One sample contained tetrachloroethene (TCE) at levels nine times
above the WHO guidance values for exposure limits, and 70 times the
US Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level for
drinking water. Elevated levels of metals, particularly copper,
nickel and zinc, were also found in groundwater samples in some
sites.
"It is very alarming to note that chemical contaminants from
industrial activities are now finding their way into our
groundwater sources as evidenced by these water samples from
Cavite. Once these contaminants reach our groundwater supply, it
is almost impossible to remove them or clean-up the problem. For
this reason, we are calling on the DENR to put more resources on
pollution prevention and make sure that indiscriminate toxic
discharges from industry are stopped," said Beau Baconguis of
Greenpeace Southeast Asia.
"It is very alarming to note that chemical contaminants from
industrial activities are now finding their way into our
groundwater sources as evidenced by these water samples from
Cavite. Once these contaminants reach our groundwater supply, it
is almost impossible to remove them or clean-up the problem. For
this reason, we are calling on the DENR to put more resources on
pollution prevention and make sure that indiscriminate toxic
discharges from industry are stopped."
Beau Baconguis
Greenpeace Toxics Campaigner
According to the World Bank's Philippine Environment Monitor
2006, more than 15 percent of the reported diseases and nearly
6,000 premature deaths annually are related to exposure to water
pollution and poor sanitation and hygiene. Treatment and lost
incomes from these diseases is estimated at PHP 6.7 billion pesos
per year.
"The DENR must take decisive and concrete steps to ensure that
our freshwater sources remain clean and do not end up becoming a
soup of chemical poisons ", added Baconguis. "Polluters must be
made accountable for the lasting damage caused by their activities
to our water resources. More importantly, our industries must be
encouraged to move away from the use of toxic materials in
production. This is the only real solution to the problem of
pollution," she added.
Last week, Greenpeace launched Project Clean Water to highlight
the threats to Philippine freshwater resources focusing on water
pollution from industrial production and chemically dependent
agriculture. The group is calling for a shift to clean production
and sustainable agriculture to prevent pollution which together
with climate change is expected to aggravate the problem of water
scarcity.