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PCB treatment moves forward
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Posted on Apr 26 2002
Approximately one-fourth of the PCB-contaminated soil in Tanapag — or about 5,500 tons — has undergone treatment using the indirect thermal desorption machine, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said.
As the ITD unit resumed operations since Saturday, Gov. Juan N. Babauta, together with some lawmakers and other government officials, inspected the treatment operations yesterday.
“He wanted to see the unit running,” said Frank Ono, the Corps’ on-island representative, referring to Babauta.
Babauta was accompanied by House Reps. Gloria DLC. Cabrera and Benjamin Seman; Sen. Ramon S. Guerrero; and Sonya Artero and Frank Taitano, special assistants for Federal and Foreign Policy and for Customs Affairs, respectively.
Division of Environmental Quality’s Kevin Castro, the agency’s air program specialist, and Environmental Protection of Agency’s on-scene coordinator, Joann Camacho, were also present.
Ono said he expects the treatment to be completed before the year ends.
The estimated 5,500 tons of treated soil were part of some 20,000 tons of contaminated soil set for treatment, even as the EPA has yet to issue its final approval to the Corps’ contractor, the Environmental Chemical Corporation.
But the EPA coordinator said the ECC has complied with some of their requirements after the February 16 burning incident at the treatment site that resulted in the death of a Filipino worker.
Camacho said the ECC has already submitted a revised safety plan and has installed gadgets at the electrostatic precipitator hopper units, to prevent a similar incident suffered by the late Roberto Alarzar, who was burned by extremely hot dust when it poured on him.
Camacho said the EPA is just considering risk amendments before it decides on whether or not to issue a final approval.
